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Action alert: Write a letter to the President of South Korea
Please write a letter to the President of South Korea to immediately stop the police crackdown and imprisonment of people engaged in protest against the Korea-US beef.
Economic Partnerships Matter
We are told that the fundamental principles and objectives of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM states are defined by the Cotonou Agreement. We are advised that this agreement seeks to create sustainable development of the states, their smooth and gradual integration in the world market, and eradication of poverty.
Indonesia-Japan economic partnership agreement goes into effect tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a historic day for Indonesia and Japan as the two countries sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) which will go into effect on July 1, 2008.
Govt ‘must include workers in EPA talks’
The Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) has written to the interim Government to include workers in talks regarding the various trade agreements Fiji is treaty to.
Investment a likely hotbed in FTA talk
Canberra’s decision — or non-decision — about Sinosteel’s move on Murchison came as less of a surprise within China than it did in Australia.
More than 100 injured in SKorea beef protests
South Korean police clashed violently with protesters opposing US beef imports in Seoul, leaving more than 100 people injured
S Korea, EU to hold minister-level talks on FTA
Trade ministers from South Korea and the European Union will meet next week to resolve contentious issues such as auto trade and rules of origin in their free trade negotiations
India, Indonesia close to sorting differences in ASEAN FTA
India is believed to be working out a trade off with Indonesia on palm oil, the last hurdle to a Free Trade Agreement that New Delhi has been negotiating with ASEAN for several years.
Sacu, EU to sign interim economic partnership agreement next week
The Southern African Customs Union plans to sign an interim economic partnership agreement with the European Union next week. At the end of 2007, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland had all decided to initiate an Interim EPA with the EU, but South Africa had decided against. The union on Friday said all five of its members were now working together, and that the union intended to sign an interim EPA with the EU by July 1.
Mexico seeks combined FTA with Central American countries
Mexico has begun negotiations with several Central American countries to merge its three individual Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with them into a single one
Japan, Switzerland in last-minute talks on free trade accord
Japan and Switzerland continued last-minute negotiations Friday on a broad agreement to liberalize bilateral trade. They had planned to strike a deal Friday, but some differences apparently remain regarding how to liberalize imports of Swiss agricultural products to Japan.
Opposition parties launch campaigns to nullify beef announcement
South Korea’s opposition parties declared the official announcement to resume imports of US beef null and void and launched a series of campaigns to have it withdrawn. Opposition party members have also proposed plans to hold a national referendum on the beef agreement and plan to seek other forms of legal action against it.
New protests as South Korea checks US beef for import
Militant protesters blocked trucks from leaving warehouses for a second day on Friday as South Korea resumed quarantine checks on US beef imports, moving to bring the product to market for the first time in nine months.
RI warned of toxic waste from Japan
Environmental groups have warned that Japan could "dispose waste" in Indonesia under an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) the countries signed last year.
ASEAN SecGen urges early entry into force of ASEAN-Japan Trade and Economic Pact
The Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Surin Pitsuwan welcomed the ratification of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement by the Japanese Diet on June 21.
EU multi-level trade policy: neither coherent nor development-friendly
The EU is demanding far-reaching trade concessions by developing countries which will help to increase their vulnerability. To merely include some paragraphs that all parties will respect and promote human and worker’s rights is just plain insufficient.
RP fishers buck EU-ASEAN free trade deal
A group of small-scale fishers in the Philippines is against a free trade deal between the European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
’Loophole’ revealed in US ban on downer cattle
On June 25, the Humane Society released a new investigative report showing extremely sick dairy cows being dragged and shocked in order to move them into an auction ring in the United States
USDA signs agreement with Philippines on agricultural cooperation
The agreement standardizes food safety regulations, rural development, biotechnology, and product distribution and marketing.
Final declaration of International Conference on Peasants’ Rights
We face patterns of violations of our rights, by the crimes committed by TNCs and by Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs). In order to address these patterns of violations, we need specific provisions and mechanisms to fully protect our rights.