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Singapore, Oman agree to boost bilateral investments
11-Dec-2007 Channel News Asia
The Investment Guarantee Agreement between the two countries is expected to give businesses greater confidence and protection when investing. It will also help in the free trade agreement talks between Singapore and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
EU approves free market access for products from 15 ACP countries
11-Dec-2007 Forbes
The EU foreign ministers today adopted a ruling which will allow virtually free access to their markets with effect from Jan 1, 2008 to products from 15 African, Caribbean and Pacific member countries which reached an interim trade agreement with the EU. However, twenty-seven ACP member nations, including 14 in the Caribbean, risk having an increase imposed on their customs tariffs from Jan 1.
Duty cut on palm oil hits vanaspati units in Lanka
11-Dec-2007 Business Standard
The reduction in customs duty of crude palm oil (CPO) by India has severely hit the 12 vanaspati units set up by Indian companies in Sri Lanka to take advantage of the low duty on CPO there and export duty-free to India under the free trade agreement quota.
Qualified industrial zones: Trade deal with the US and Israel boosts textiles
11-Dec-2007 FT
The deal allows Egyptians to export to the US tariff-free as long as they use a certain percentage of Israeli goods. The US initiative is intended to foster peace through trade. Qiz’s impact on thawing the political relations is questionable. But, for Egyptian garment producers, it has meant a chance to stand up to the competition posed by Asian producers.
Bush and Harper ignore Colombia’s labor rights reality
11-Dec-2007 Colombia Journal
There is no moral justification for the United States and Canada negotiating a free trade agreement with Colombia when the foundation of these pacts is the slaughter of Colombian unionists. The perpetrators of these crimes should not be rewarded with an agreement that most Colombians do not want.
S. Korea, Mexico at odds over agricultural safeguards in FTA talks
11-Dec-2007 Asia Pulse
South Korea and Mexico were at odds over safeguards for farm goods at their first free trade agreement talks, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Monday.
Africa leaders reject EU trade deal
10-Dec-2007 Al Jazeera
Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal’s president, said at the closing of the Africa-Europe Summit: "It was said several times during the plenary session and it was said again this morning: African states reject the EPAs."
S Korea seeking free trade with South America’s Mercosur: commerce minister
10-Dec-2007 Yonhap
South Korea is seeking a free trade pact with Mercosur to pave the way for Korean firms to increase investment and exports to Brazil and the other member states, South Korea’s commerce minister said Saturday.
Ivory Coast initials interim trade deal with EU
10-Dec-2007 Reuters
Ivory Coast inked an interim trade accord with the European Union on Friday as the bloc pushes for deals with as many former European colonies as possible before preferential trade terms expire on December 31. The top cocoa producer is the first West African country to sign a bilateral deal, breaking ranks with the region’s ECOWAS economic community.
Namibia: EPA pain in the butt
10-Dec-2007 AllAfrica.com
Government’s refusal to sign the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has thrown a challenge to the private sector, which had put too much trust on the Cotonou Agreement by regarding European markets as the only export destination.
EU should not pressure developing countries over trade agreements says WCC leader
10-Dec-2007 Ekklesia
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia has told European Commissioner Peter Mandelson that the coercive approach adopted by the EU poisons the negotiating atmosphere and that the interim agreements are not consistent with development, poverty eradication and rights to food.
CLC-KCTU joint statement on Korea-Canada free trade agreements
10-Dec-2007 KCTU
On the eve of the 12th round of negotiations between Canada and Korea for a trade deal, the Canadian Labour Congress and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, representing over four million workers in both countries, call on our respective governments to immediately halt these trade talks.
Mary Robinson concerned about EU approach to EPAs
9-Dec-2007 IPS
A recent study by Realizing Rights, an ‘‘ethical globalisation’’ body set up by the former UN commissioner for human rights and former Irish president Mary Robinson, forecasts that an EPA could harm Ghana’s development prospects by narrowing its scope to create more and better-paid jobs.
Korea, Mexico hold free trade negotiations
8-Dec-2007 Korea.net
Korea and Mexico held their first round of negotiations this week on a free trade agreement aimed at tearing down market barriers between the two countries
Bush wields Colombia trade deal to halt Venezuela
8-Dec-2007 AFP
Bush is now presenting the FTA to Congress as the main US policy tool to halt the influence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Peru free trade agreement is disaster for farmers everywhere
7-Dec-2007 Topeka Capital Journal
The same international grain traders who dumped below-cost grain into Mexico after NAFTA, driving over a million farmers off the land and fueling illegal migration into the United States, will now do the same in Peru.
CARICOM leaders again negotiate with EU
7-Dec-2007 Prensa Latina
The complexity of the negotiations of an Accord of Economic Association with the European Union will mobilize the Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Friday, for the third time in the last two months.
Trade row casts shadow over EU-Africa summit
7-Dec-2007 IC
A row over new trade rules risks souring the mood at this weekend’s EU-Africa summit and underlines the problems Europe faces in forging new relations with its former colonies, according to analysts.
Japan aide urges US Congress approve Korea trade deal
7-Dec-2007 IHT
Japan hopes the US Congress will approve a free trade deal with South Korea that it believes could be a "building block" toward a larger US-East Asian free trade zone, a Japanese official said on Thursday.
Short end of stick for Peru farmers
7-Dec-2007 Prensa Latina
The Peruvian government’s happiness was contrasted today by the solemnity of agrarian producers after the ratification of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement by the US Senate.