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France seeks greater flexibility with Africa
24-May-2008
France, the forthcoming holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, has asked that the bloc display greater flexibility in talks aimed at reaching free trade accords with Africa.
Bush pushes Congress for trade deal
24-May-2008
A concrete mixer. Crates of cauliflower. A Harley-Davidson. Chunks of cheese. President Bush used a White House lawn stacked with props yesterday to press Congress to approve free-trade pacts with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.
Obama urges Bush back off South Korea trade deal
24-May-2008
Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama in a letter released on Friday warned of a major fight over a free trade agreement with South Korea if President George W. Bush sends it to the U.S. Congress.
Rifts threaten to overshadow South American union
24-May-2008
Twelve South American countries founded a union on Friday aimed at boosting economic integration and political cohesion, but the region’s bitter rivalries stymied ambitious plans on defense and trade.
Pacts with developed nations to take Indian trade into new era
24-May-2008
India is currently negotiating preferential trade and investment agreements with some developed countries - the European Union, Japan and Korea.
SMEs deserve special attention in Asean, says Muhyiddin
24-May-2008
Malaysian’s International Trade & Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Saturday night that small & medium enterprises (SMEs) deserve special attention in Asean as they are the backbone of the economies of all the member states.
India, New Zealand to conclude FTA study process
24-May-2008
India and New Zealand are keen on completing a study by end of the year to find out feasibility of a free trade agreement for boosting bilateral trade.
Turkey eyes Mercosur trade talks this year - Kayalar
23-May-2008 Reuters
Turkey aims to start negotiations this year over a free-trade agreement with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, Turkish Foreign Trade Undersecretary Tuncer Kayalar says
Syria-EU relations need review
23-May-2008 Gulf News
Syria remains the only partner out of the nine other Mediterranean countries under the Barcelona process who hasn’t signed an association agreement with the EU.
Farmers in massive protests against FTA with US
23-May-2008 Chosun Ilbo
Downtown Seoul saw massive demonstrations by farmers against the Korea-US free trade agreement and import of US beef on Thursday with some 8,000 farmers from 42 groups nationwide including the Hanwoo Association
Panama projects plow ahead as FTA idles in Congress
23-May-2008 Global Atlanta
“With the United States, our goal is to have a string of free-trading countries from Alaska down to the tip of Argentina and Chile, and Panama is obviously an important link in that chain,” US ambassador to Panama said.
US official calls for concluding investment treaty with India
23-May-2008 Thaindian News
Daniel Sullivan, assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, said that concluding a bilateral investment treaty with India is an important priority of the present US administration.
EU wants provinces on board before talks start
22-May-2008 Embassy Magazine
After years of exploring the feasibility of a free trade agreement with the European Union, Canadian politicians and officials are now turning their attention to the next Canada-EU summit, in Montreal in October, as the venue for finally launching official talks.
Muhyiddin suggests a pre-negotiation discussion to move forward FTA deal with US
22-May-2008
Malaysia and US should have a pre-negotiation discussion on some of the contentious issues that have delayed the progress of the Free Trade Agreement with the US, International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Wednesday.
BITs and peace: The connection
22-May-2008
How beneficial are Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) for Contracting states remains a hotly debated issue, threatening to eclipse the success due to misgivings generated largely by the Latin American experience.
India wants trade deal by end of next year
21-May-2008
Australia and India should aim to complete a free trade agreement by the end of next year, says India’s influential Commerce and Industry Minister, Kamal Nath.
EU urges India to offer more in bilateral trade talks
21-May-2008
The European Commission called on India on Tuesday to go further with its plans to open up its economy to European exports under a planned bilateral trade deal between the two trade powers.
Comesa ministers root for common policy
21-May-2008
Comesa trade ministers are rooting for a crash programme to harmonise intra-regional policies before the December 2008 deadline of signing a joint Customs Union (CU).
The EPA conundrum
21-May-2008
There are strident calls for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), due to be signed by Cariforum in July, to be amended, varied or simply not signed. Any possible renegotiation of the treaty, it is acknowledged, might come at a potentially intolerable cost.
Whither regional integration?
21-May-2008
As a result of the free trade agreements with the European Union, called economic partnership agreements, regional integration in Southern Africa is in tatters. The question arises: what kind of integration would engender broad-based development?