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Jean Charest disturbed by U.S. talk of reopening free-trade deal
Premier Jean Charest is using talk of reopening the North American free-trade deal to help his efforts to get a free-trade accord between Canada and the European Union.
ESA Region Keen to Conclude EPA Mission - Minister
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Felix Mutati, has reiterated Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries’ commitment to conclude a comprehensive, inclusive and development friendly Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).
India looks to new Govt. in Pak to implement SAFTA
India on Monday exuded confidence that the new government in Islamabad will take immediate steps to implement the South Asian Free Trade Agreement with New Delhi and take necessary measures, including duty changes, to facilitate trade.
Trade deals spark warning
The Pacific Network on Globalisation warned Pacific governments to be wary of viewing Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement as "stepping stone" towards free trade deals with rich nations.
Gildan may get caught up in U.S. election politics on Honduras tariff ruling
Canadian sock manufacturing giant Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX:GIL) could get caught in the middle of U.S. election-year politics as the Bush administration decides whether to end the company’s duty-free shipments of socks from Honduras.
Rudd may be pinning his hopes on trade policy that is past its use-by date
Kevin Rudd and his Trade Minister, Simon Crean, are very clear on the direction for trade liberalisation under a Labor Government.
EU won’t push India on FTA
Brussels, March 3. The European Commission will not rush the talks with Delhi for a free-trade agreement even though India’s proposed FTA with Japan could happen sooner and affect the European Union member-countries’ presence in the Indian market.
Pakistan-EU talks to resume after over a decade
The Pakistan-European Union Joint Commission is expected to meet within three months, after remaining suspended for over a decade, and a possible free trade agreement is on the agenda.
EU-India FTA hits roadblock
The prospects of free trade agreement between the European Union and India being wrapped up by the 2008-end deadline look very bleak with sharp differences having arisen over various issues — intellectual property rights, competition, agriculture, public procurement, market access and transparency.
Europe headed for new security deal with Israel
The European Union is considering new steps to deepen its cooperation on scientific research with Israel, despite admitting that previous funds earmarked for that purpose have gone to firms operating illegally in the Palestinian territories.
US-Colombia pact mired in row over labour abuses
"Even if Colombia had a sterling record on human rights, if there were no assassinations of trade unionists, the Colombia free trade agreement would still be a bad idea," said Economic Policy Institute global policy director Tony Avirgan.
India acts to encourage free trade in South Asia
In a bid to accelerate the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta), India will let 244 additional items to be freely traded with least developed countries in the region.
Japanese cyclists join local protest vs JPEPA
At least 10 Japanese cyclists will participate in a "Peace Cycle" in Metro Manila that started Tuesday, joining local militant groups in opposing the ratification of the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Stop the secrecy on NZ-China trade treaty
"This trade deal may have a bigger impact on New Zealand than most other government actions this year. Yet the public and parliament are still in the dark about its content only five weeks before it will be signed," says Trade Spokesperson and Green Co-leader Dr. Russel Norman.
Crunch week for world’s oldest customs union
Sacu trade ministers meet in Gaborone with European Commission trade head Peter Mandelson tomorrow in a bid to break a stalemate over the economic partnership agreement the region is negotiating with the European Union. Mooted as an opportunity to harmonise the region’s trade arrangements with its biggest trading partner and deepen regional integration, the EPA has achieved the opposite. It has divided the region and is threatening to split it permanently.
Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) concerns in agricultural trade
As free trade agreements lower agricultural tariffs, more countries may turn to SPS measures to protect their farmers from import competition.
Singapore to sign FTA with Gulf countries
The Singapore-UAE bilateral FTA talks have been abandoned for a broader GCC-Singapore FTA. The negotiations were progressing for some time but now they have shifted to the GCC level and we are about to sign an agreement.
Thai-Chinese FTA leaves a bad taste with garlic growers
A partial free trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and China has led to a decline in Thailand’s garlic output by 22 per cent in three years, a study revealed Sunday.
Obama and Clinton: Anti-NAFTA
Two aspiring candidates for the democratic presidential nomination made it clear in the Ohio debate that the US will abandon NAFTA if its environmental and labour standards are not renegotiated.
Costa Rican Indigenous protest FTA
Hundreds of Costa Rican indigenous people began a protest against the Free Trade Agreement between Central America, the Dominican Republic and the United States. They accused the FTA of imposing the use of patented seeds that prevent traditional crops and warned that the use of transgenic seeds from the United States would affect ancestral crops closely linked to the people’s view of the world and spirituality.