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Do YOU support a free trade agreement with the US?
25-Jul-2008 Scoop
Many New Zealanders believe that a New Zealand-US free trade agreement would put all of Aotearoa up for sale to US corporations by “removing barriers” to US corporate control and by allowing US corporations to sue the New Zealand government for threatening their profits.
NZ: FTA on agenda for Rice talks
25-Jul-2008 TVNZ
A free trade agreement between New Zealand and the US is expected to be on the agenda when the Prime Minister meets with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
EFTA & Hong Kong keen on FTA with Malaysia, says Muhyiddin
25-Jul-2008 Bernama
The European Free Trade Association and Hong Kong are keen to establish a free trade agreement with Malaysia.
Constitutional Court okays free trade pact with US
25-Jul-2008 Colombia Reports
Colombia’s Constitutional Court has ruled the trade pact the Colombian and US governments signed is in accordance with Colombia’s constitution.
Pacific ministers agree to broaden work on PACER
25-Jul-2008 RNZI
This may include setting up a regional office to focus on issues of traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights.
Japan tries to exclude agriculture in free trade talks
25-Jul-2008 FarmOnline
Japan has moved to exclude key agricultural products from the next round of free-trade negotiations with Australia, due to be held in Tokyo next week.
Robert Gates joins PR offensive for Colombia FTA
24-Jul-2008 WW4 Report
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos share a joint op-ed in the New York Times shamelessly trading off the apparent hostage rescue operation to shill for the pending US-Colombia free trade agreement.
9th round of Malaysia-US FTA talks in November, says Muhyiddin
24-Jul-2008 Bernama
The Malaysia-US Free Trade Agreement talks are set to advance into the ninth round in November, International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said. Government procurement, competition policy, environment, labour, financial services and other sensitive areas could only be discussed but stay non-negotiable and non-binding, he added.
China FTA bill passes final reading
24-Jul-2008 Scoop
Trade Minister Phil Goff says the passing in Parliament today of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Bill will bring the FTA into force on 1 October and represents an historic advance in New Zealand’s trading relationships.
India, S’pore set to sign agreement in services
24-Jul-2008 Zee News
India and Singapore are set to sign an agreement on services shortly under a comprehensive economic treaty between the two, enabling architects, nurses, dentists and chartered accountants to practice in each other’s country. This will be the first services agreement that India signs with any country.
The structure and trends of economic relationship between Thailand and the EU
23-Jul-2008 FTA Watch
A review of the potential direction and impacts of an EU-ASEAN FTA, particularly on Thailand, commissioned by FTA Watch
US-SACU TIDCA (2008)
23-Jul-2008 SACU
Pakistan and Japan FTA study by November end
23-Jul-2008 Pakistan Daily
A Joint Study Group of Pakistan and Japan considering the feasibility of Free Trade Agreement between Islamabad and Tokyo would submit its draft report to the two governments by the end of November 2008.
EPA or development? Your choice
23-Jul-2008 Afrique Echos
The EPA will be disastrous for Africa. Its acceptance would amount to locking the continent into some kind of economic vacuum where its manouevring space would be drastically limited because of the exclusivity of such a deal, especially since the evidence shows that no country in the world has taken off with such bogus and demeaning arrangements.
Intellectual property in the EPA: broad scope, huge impact - Part III
23-Jul-2008 Jamaica Observer
Article 149 requires the EC Party and the Signatory CARIFORUM states to provide for the protection of plant varieties in accordance with the TRIPS Agreement and to consider, in this connection, accession to UPOV, 1991.
East Asia Summit explores free trade area prospects
23-Jul-2008 The Hindu
The East Asia Summit, a “leaders-driven forum” with India, as also China and Japan in its fold, “is studying the feasibility of a free trade area among its 16 countries.”
New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Bill
23-Jul-2008 Scoop
How is it that in a land with such a shameful history of exclusion and institutional racism against the Chinese, the NZ Government is suddenly bending over backwards to become party to a free trade agreement with China?, the Maori Party asks
Guyana accuses Europe of trade bullying
23-Jul-2008 FT
The Caribbean could suffer economically if a proposed free trade agreement between several regional countries and the European Union is signed because of damaging flaws in the deal, according to Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana’s president. “Europe negotiated in bad faith. We were bullied into this.”
SC ruling on JPEPA: Shackled by ‘entropy of the old tradition of secrecy’
22-Jul-2008 PCIJ
“WE must overcome the entropy of the old tradition of secrecy,” counseled Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno in his lengthy argument on the petition to have the government disclose details of the negotiations between the Philippines and Japan in relation to the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Obviously, it was an advice that went largely unheeded as majority of his colleagues upheld for a second time the Arroyo government’s invocation of executive privilege.
Costa Rica targets trends for greater food exports
22-Jul-2008 foodnavigator.com
Costa Rican food companies are focusing on major trends like organics and social values to build their export platform, as an association agreement between the EU and Central America is expected to be reached in 2009.