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Hard bargains: Bilateral trade pacts draw domestic objections
The fear of having other countries steal a march on Washington by signing their own deals may bring Congress back to the bilateral trade negotiating table.
US, China firms sign whopping 13.6 billion dollar deals
American and Chinese firms have signed deals worth 13.6 billion dollars ahead of a high level meeting that could formally endorse talks for a bilateral investment treaty, officials said.
Anti EPA groups protest at White Hall!
On Thursday June 12, organizations from around the region staged a protest against the EU-Caribbean Economic Partnership Agreement in front of White Hall, the prime minister’s office in Trinidad.
Group urges Palace to reveal content of RP-US free trade pact
A militant fisher folk group urged Malacañang on Tuesday to disclose the content of the proposed RP-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which it said might be the top agenda of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s state visit to the United States next week.
FAO urges integration to boost prices in market
To thwart a deepening food crisis on the continent, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation is proposing the creation of a Free Trade Area (FTA) for Africa that will facilitate a seamless flow of strategic commodities across national borders while maintaining high profit margins.
Israel seeking an upgrading of its relations with the EU and to obtain "special status"
On Monday June 16th, the EU-Israel Association Council will convene for the eighth time. For Israel the stakes are high.
EFTA and Colombia conclude free trade negotiations
The EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Colombia on 12 June 2008 finalized negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Africa: Concerns over Chinese investment and working conditions
Chinese investment in African countries comes with few strings attached — which is exactly what concerns civil society organisations.
US-South Korean beef talks fail to reach agreement
Talks between the United States and South Korea over the resumption of American beef imports ended Sunday without any agreement, US Trade Representative spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel said.
Ecuador, ALBA and the FARC
Recent remarks by Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez on the civil war in Colombia and Ecuador’s decision not to join the Alternativa Bolivariana de las Americas (ALBA) solidarity based cooperation initiative shows progressive leaders are taking stock on Latin American integration.
Ranbaxy deal may help India’s entry into Japan
The Daiichi Sankyo-Ranbaxy Laboratories deal has come as a shot in the arm for India’s Comprehensive Economic Co-operation Agreement (CECA) negotiations with Japan. Indian pharma companies have been unable to break into Japan, the world’s second largest drug market, due to the country’s stringent sanitary and phytosanitary standards, technical barriers to trade (TBT) and environmental norms.
S. Korea, Europe seek FTA conclusion in 2008
Europe wants to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea by the year’s end to further boost bilateral economic ties
“Free trade”, neoliberal immigration & the globalization of guestworker programs
An analysis of how free trade and investment agreements affect migrant workers
Building its ties to Colombia: Canada’s imperial adventure in the Andes
The United States and Canada have chosen to promote Colombia as an aggressive and heavily militarized bulwark against anti-imperialism in the region — an Israel of the Andes.
Beef imports to Korea: An open letter to President Bush
Korean middle school student Chae-song Kim asks that the trade agreement be reconsidered
Indonesia, Australia to speed up ASEAN-ANZ free trade
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and Australia pledged Friday to help accelerate a negotiation to secure a free-trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nation, Australia and New Zealand (AANZ-FTA).
Canada-Colombia FTA: When democracy gets in the way, just sign it, eh?
Many Canadians may never know the difficulties of people resisting the military imposition of an economic model that is ultimately intended for the entire planet, or for ’our Mother Earth’ as the indigenous peoples in Cauca call it. Many Canadians may not know the extent to which they are kept in the dark through the entrenched telling and retelling of the "Canada the good" mythology. It’s time to wake up, eh?
South Korea’s beef with America
To the rest of the world, South Korean protests over the safety of US beef are portrayed as an expression of simmering anti-Americanism. Without a doubt, anti-American sentiments have historical roots. But Koreans also have a legitimate claim to fear the safety of US beef.
RI expects to finalize negotiations on FTA with Australia next year
Indonesia hopes to complete its bilateral negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia in 2009 if talks on FTA at ASEAN level (including Australia and New Zealand) are concluded this year, Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said.
Obstacles to EU-Asean FTA
A free-trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union is unlikely to take shape soon because of the big discrepancies between Asean members and political problems in Burma, said Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht.