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Kampala summit to decide the future of trade blocs
The first ever tripartite summit of the East African Community, the Common Market for East and Southern Africa and the Southern Africa Development Community takes place in Kampala this week.
Policy delay hits textile industry
Policy paralysis in the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) is compounding problems for the region’s struggling clothing and textiles industry.
India seeks expansion of border trade with Myanmar
India would seek to expand border trade by opening more trading points along the 1,600-km border it shares with Myanmar during the two-day talks to be held at Mandalay in that country beginning Tuesday.
IBSA nations set trilateral trade target of $15 bn
Reflecting their growing economic ties, India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) have set an ambitious trade target of $15 billion between the three countries by 2010.
Free trade deal will push reform in region
Advancing a bold free-trade agreement between Australia and Japan would be a "springboard" for influencing economic reform in the region.
MPs want region to turn away from EU
East Africa’s increasingly frosty economic ties with the West took a turn for the worse last week when the region’s parliamentarians called for their governments to scrap the interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.
Japan trade deal unlikely this year
The proposed India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), involving trade in goods, services and investments, is unlikely to be signed this year.
Int’l signature drive vs Jpepa launched in Bangkok
An international signature drive has been launched in Bangkok, Thailand asking the Philippine Senate to recall the ratification of the controversial Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa).
Supreme Court asked to nullify JPEPA
The Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party and eight other organizations asked the Supreme Court on Monday to prevent the implementation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) that the Senate ratified last week.
EU: Defiant Guyana to be punished
The European Union is preparing to impose swingeing taxes on goods imported from Guyana as punishment for the Caribbean island’s refusal to accept a free trade accord. Patrick Gomes, Guyana’s ambassador to Brussels, said that the EU’s move could lead to his country losing €70m (US$94m) each year.
Jordan, Belgium to discuss trade ties
During this visit, the text of a bilateral investment treaty will be initialled by Maen Nsour, chief executive officer of Jordan Investment Board, and the Belgian ambassador in Jordan, Jo Indekeu.
Talks on RP-EU cooperation deal to start next year
The Philippines and the European Union have agreed to start formal talks in February for a political cooperation agreement (PCA) that will govern political and economic relations and lead to an EU-ASEAN free trade deal. Human rights, intellectual property rights and climate change will be among the areas covered by the agreement.
The wrongful acts of independent state entitites
In spite of the fact that consent is the main building block of arbitration, arbitral awards have been steady for some years that a claimant need not have a contractual relationship with a respondent state to initiate arbitral proceedings versus this state, i.e. states unexpectedly were made respondents in arbitrations under arbitration clauses they have never approved or even bargained.
WB opposes signing bilateral FTA’s: Dhaka fails to narrow trade gap with SAARC states
Opposition from World Bank keeps Bangladesh away from signing bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with SAARC member countries, a top official of the Commerce Ministry said yesterday.
Vice president touts benefits of Taiwan-ASEAN free trade pact
Vice President Vincent Siew said Saturday that a free trade agreement between Taiwan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would be mutually beneficial in terms of economic development as well as regional peace and stability.
’Congress Unlikely to Ratify FTA This Yr’
Ambassador to Washington Lee Tae-sik says if the U.S. Congress fails to ratify the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement this year, the effort would resume after 2010.
Jpepa paves way for more unequal treaties - group
Activists from various organizations under the NO DEAL! Movement on Friday warned that the recently recently ratified Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) would set the precedent for more unequal economic agreements for the Philippines.
Senators clash over JPEPA
Senators on Thursday alternately praised and criticized the recently ratified Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement for removing tariffs on 95 percent of Philippine exports to Japan while allegedly violating Philippine laws on foreign ownership of local businesses.
Filipino group assails JPEPA
The Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) reiterated today its warning that the ratification of Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) had institutionalized abuses against Filipino health personnel.
Chinese medicine industry regarded as important element under Economic Partnership framework
The 3rd Chinese Medicine Regional Co-operational Symposium yesterday began at the Macau Tower where Bi Zhijian, chief of the Economic and Trade Committee of Guangdong province said that the Chinese medicine industry was one of the important items within the CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) framework.