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Japan digs its claws into biodiversity through FTAs
31-Aug-2007 GRAIN
The Japanese government is increasingly using free trade agreements (FTAs) to tighten corporate control over seeds and other forms of biodiversity that are crucial to food, agriculture and medicine. Two such deals sealed this month with Chile and Indonesia put Japan in the big league of nations using bilateral deals to make seed-saving on the farm a thing of the past.
Pacific ACP countries express deep concern at EU trade deal proposal
31-Aug-2007 The Pacific Islands Forum and its Secretariat
Pacific trade officials and legal experts have expressed their disappointment and deep concern at the draft text proposed by the European Commission for an Economic Partnership Agreement covering trade in goods, trade in services, fisheries, investment and development cooperation.
South Africa: SA ’not in a hurry’ to sign EPA, says EU
31-Aug-2007 allafrica.com
As the December deadline for the signing of a European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries fast approaches without any sign of the deal being closed by then, European Union (EU) representatives in SA are growing frustrated and accuse Pretoria of procrastination over the negotiation.
US-NZ Partnership Forum: Neo-liberalism - Pacific Style
31-Aug-2007
According to the organizers, this year’s US-NZ Partnership Forum will in part focus on the, “potential for the United States and New Zealand to cooperate on ... economic development and sustainability in the Asia Pacific region.”
EU-SADC EPA: Frustration between EU and SA boils to the surface as trade deadline looms
31-Aug-2007 Engineering News
Frustration is mounting in relations between the European Union and South Africa, in particular, in negotiations for an economic partnership agreement between the EU and the so-called Southern African Development Community group, comprising Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Tanzania and Mozambique.
Pacific: Trade officials deeply concerned about European offer
31-Aug-2007 ABC
Pacific trade officials and legal experts from 14 Pacific Island nations have just spent 3 days examing Europe’s draft agreement in detail and are deeply concerned about the text (audio)
Stiglitz: FTAs advantageous to US
30-Aug-2007 The Edge
Nobel laureate and former World Bank chief economist Joseph Stiglitz believes that no country should enter into free trade agreements with the US, as none of the developing countries has benefited greatly from them.
Uganda: Coffee producers are the biggest losers
30-Aug-2007 AllAfrica.com
The pending economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the European Union and developing countries will further exploit Ugandan coffee producers
Canada and India conclude investment treaty: Negotiations with China continue
30-Aug-2007 Mondaq
Concluding a FIPA with China is one of the Canadian government’s top priorities. However, negotiations have dragged on due to significant differences between Canada’s Model FIPA and the standard Chinese approach.
Japan, EU to study economic partnership agreement
29-Aug-2007 Asahi Shimbun
To keep pace with South Korea, Japan will start joint research with the European Union as early as next month on a possible economic partnership agreement, sources said.
African countries stand up to EU
29-Aug-2007 IPS
Concern over getting too little in return for what they are being asked to give up has led some African nations to say "no" to some proposals for new trade relations with Europe next year.
US eyes trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan
28-Aug-2007 Reuters
The Bush administration will push Congress in coming months to approve legislation aimed at creating reconstruction opportunity zones so that goods produced in designated parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan can enter the United States duty-free.
US, Malaysia could strike trade deal next year - USTR
28-Aug-2007 Reuters
The United States and Malaysia could finish talks on a free trade agreement in 2008, even though the Bush administration has lost key legislative authority, a top US trade official said on Monday.
Kenya: EPAs could delay EU bid
28-Aug-2007 AllAfrica.com
Uncertainty is looming in Kenya’s horticultural sector following the move by the five EAC member states to sign one Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which they say could take much longer time than was previously anticipated.
The politics of corporate party crashing
27-Aug-2007 rabble
The North American global justice movement just exposed the “Security and Prosperity Partnership” (SPP), the latest corporate assault on our democracy, environment and human rights. As activists assess their next steps, many wonder: can we still work together, dig the SPP’s grave still deeper, and then push it in? And where do we go from there?
Forum on food sovereignty in Korea
27-Aug-2007 LVC
Jose Bove said that the fight against EPA (Economic Partnership Agreements) is more difficult than the one against WTO because this only involves a few countries.
Repression on FTA opponents denounced
27-Aug-2007 Prensa Latina
The Costa Rican Human Rights Association denounced the increase of the police repression against local citizens, students and social leaders opposed to the Free Trade Agreement with US in their Sunday statement.
Korea to send draft proposal on FTA with EU
27-Aug-2007 Chosun Ilbo
It will specify when and how much Korea is willing to open its agricultural sector, the most sensitive area in free trade talks.
Asean eyes completion of FTA talks with Australia, New Zealand in ’08
27-Aug-2007 Nasdaq.com
Asean economic ministers said while "considerable progress" has been made on the proposed comprehensive FTA with Australia-New Zealand, concluding talks this year is unlikely because the next phase of the negotiations "would be critical and intense."
El Salvador approves FTA with Taiwan
27-Aug-2007 Taipei Times
Under the FTA, El Salvador could export up to 60,000 tonnes of sugar tariff-free to Taiwan each year