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Korea to get quarantine sovereignty over US beef
19-May-2008 Korea Times
South Korean negotiators have won a new concession from US officials regarding the American beef import agreement, with the new clause giving Seoul "quarantine and inspection sovereignty," government sources said Monday.
Ageing Japan to get first foreign nurses - report
19-May-2008 Reuters
Japan is set to accept nurses and elderly-care workers from Indonesia, possibly as soon as July, the financial daily Nikkei said on Friday, as the country struggles to care for its rapidly growing ranks of old people.
The Commission seeks greater power for European companies’ investing abroad
19-May-2008 Baltic Course
The European Commission is seeking to take more power in regulating deals for the European companies working abroad; first of all in deals concerning protection of investments abroad, a role traditionally undertaken by the EU’s member states in their trade outside the Union-block. Hence, the EU common commercial policy rules might extend to investments, as well.
Dead end for free trade
19-May-2008 Globe and Mail
NAFTA was meant to deliver timely, unfettered access to Canada’s biggest trading partner. Instead, delays are longer, costs are higher, and business models are breaking down, Barrie McKenna writes
EU polishes trade talks with Latin America - except Mercosur
19-May-2008 Thaindian News
The European Union brushed up its trade talks with Latin American regional blocs Saturday in Lima, making progress with Mexico, the Andean Community and Central America. But progress with the Mercosur bloc that includes the region’s economic giants of Brazil and Argentina, with Venezuela in the midst of seeking ratification to join, remained stalled.
Biofuels, food and trade top EU-Latin America Summit
19-May-2008 EurActiv
European and Latin American leaders pledged to deepen trade ties between their two regions and tackle global warming and poverty at the fifth EU-Latin America-Caribbean Summit in Lima.
Algeria seeks free trade deal with West African countries
19-May-2008 Afrique en ligne
Algeria is working on signing free trade agreements with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) countries, the union said in a statement Monday.
EC’s non-coherent EPA policy on Africa
16-May-2008 New Era
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) agenda of the European Commission (EC) clearly illustrates the masquerade of its disdainful approach towards Africa in an accelerated disregard for the EU’s coherence policy.
Meat wars with South Korea
16-May-2008 Counter Punch
While the FTA delivers on Lee’s pledge to double South Korea’s wealth if elected and lets the U.S. rebuild its Asian beef trade obliterated by a mad cow scare five years ago—especially exports to China and Japan—many in South Korea are saying, "You want us to import WHAT"?
FTA hinges on farm deal, US tells India
16-May-2008 Deccan Herald
The United States, on Wednesday, said prospects of a free trade agreement with India are “too pre-mature” as it depends on opening of market for agricultural products, though progress has been made in manufacturing and services.
Green party voices concerns over FTA
15-May-2008
Bilateral agreements such as New Zealand’s free trade agreement with China threaten the right of democratically-elected governments to regulate to protect the environment or people’s safety, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman told a parliamentary select committee today.
Investment provisions in Economic Partnership Agreements
15-May-2008
This paper examines the investment provisions of the CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement and their implications for development. The paper also clarifies the link between investment provisions in an EPA and existing bilateral investment treaties. It concludes with recommendations for both review of the investment provisions in the CARIFORUM EPA, and for other ACP states that decide to embark on negotiations on investment with the EU.
Rules of Origin and EPAs: What has been agreed? What does it mean? What next?
15-May-2008
This paper provides an analysis on the significance of changes made to rules of origin during the EPA negotiations
Agriculture potential barrier to closer trade ties with Japan
14-May-2008
Prime Minister Helen Clark will push for closer economic ties when she holds talks today with her Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda today.
JPEPA: ’Unconstitutional’ on 15 counts yet...
14-May-2008 PCIJ
The Philippines Senate’s ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) is not likely to push through until, possibly, this August.
NZ, Japan a step closer to trade deal
14-May-2008 Stuff
New Zealand and Japan have taken a first step towards free trade negotiations, agreeing today to a study on the benefits of a closer economic partnership.
RI asks Australia, New Zealand to open their textile markets
13-May-2008
Indonesia has asked Australia and New Zealand to open their textile and textile product markets under a free trade arrangement (FTA) with ASEAN.
Intellectual property in EU EPAs with the ACP countries: What way forward after the Cariforum EPA and the interim EPAs?
13-May-2008 CIEL
This paper explores the implications of ACP Countries continuing negotiations for further IPR protection in EPAs by: conducting an analysis to determine the exact nature of commitments that the ACP regions have made regarding the basis and scope of future negotiations on IPRs; examining some of the more significant provisions on IPRs in the EU-Cariforum EPA; and concluding with recommendations for future actions that ACP countries can take in their approach to IPRs in future EPA negotiations.
IBSA to sort out issues to increase mutual cooperation
13-May-2008
India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) is working towards sorting out procedural and infrastructural bottlenecks to increase mutual operation in key areas of energy, tourism and mining, industry body CII said on Monday.
IBSA strengthens its commitment to democracy
13-May-2008
The "strategic alliance" that is the India-Brazil-South Africa trilateral axis is now more than simply a dialogue but a "privileged relationship" favouring a world where democracy will prevail not only in its political manifestation but also on social and cultural levels