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Abe: India on FTA fast track
23-Aug-2007 Japan Times
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Wednesday for the rapid completion of a free-trade agreement with India and pledged to help finance a $90 billion freight corridor to spur a doubling of investment in the South Asian nation.
The swell of boycott
23-Aug-2007 New Matilda
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called for divestment from Israeli companies: a campaign aimed at the European Union, which accounts for two-thirds of Israel’s exports under an EU-Israel Association Agreement. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, has said that human rights conditions in the agreement should be invoked and Israel’s trading preferences suspended. This is unusual, for these were once distant voices.
Clouds loom despite Swiss-US trade boom
23-Aug-2007 swissinfo
The biggest trade storm of late between the US and Switzerland has been the failure to establish a free trade agreement between the two countries. Negotiations broke down last year over agriculture.
ASEAN ministers to finalise FTAs with Japan, China
23-Aug-2007 Reuters
Southeast Asian economic ministers will finalise a blueprint for economic cooperation in the region and push free trade deals with six dialogue partners at a weekend meeting in Manila
APEC eyes merging trade pacts in region to create APEC-wide FTA
23-Aug-2007 Kyodo
Pacific Rim leaders are expected at their summit next month to consider combining existing bilateral and regional free trade agreements in the region as a way of creating a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, according to a draft report of policy recommendations to the leaders.
Tamaki Makaurau Declaration against corporate control and for global justice
23-Aug-2007 Our World Is Not For Sale
A declaration for organisations to sign-on to about the negative effects of a New Zealand-US free trade agreement.
FTA between Pakistan and South Africa to boost trade urged
23-Aug-2007 APP
A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and South Africa is necessary to boost trade and investments between the two countries according to Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
University students protest tribunal resolution on CAFTA campaigns
23-Aug-2007 Tico Times
Students from the University of Costa Rica and National University organized the protest against a Supreme Elections Tribunal resolution of July 12 which said that university personnel, like other public officials, cannot use public resources to campaign for or against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).
Peru-Mexico to negotiate free trade agreement (FTA) in September
22-Aug-2007 LIP
Peru and Mexico will begin negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on September 17. Because Peru’s agricultural products do not directly compete with Mexican products, it is hoped that agreements will be reached.
Japan aims to ink free trade deal with ASEAN in November: Abe
21-Aug-2007 Bernama
Abe expects Japan and the 10-nation bloc to wrap up their negotiations during the Japan-ASEAN economic ministers’ meeting Saturday in the Philippines, paving the way for a signing by their leaders at a November summit. The FTA is expected to take effect sometime next year following approval by the parliaments of Japan and ASEAN member states.
Japan-Indonesia FTA (2007)
21-Aug-2007 MOFA
ASEAN stops new intra-reg’l FTAs
21-Aug-2007 Manila Bulletin
ASEAN countries have agreed to a moratorium on forging intra-regional free trade agreements saying they would have to focus first on the completion of FTA negotiations with China, Japan, Korea, and the Australia-New Zealand.
EPA offers opportunities and challenges
20-Aug-2007 Jakarta Post
According to Indonesian Employers Association chairman Sofyan Wanandi, there is no guarantee of an increase in Japanese investment as a result of the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement signed today
Abe, Yudhoyono sign FTA, agree to tackle climate change
20-Aug-2007 Kyodo
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday signed a bilateral free trade agreement and confirmed a shared commitment to tackling global warming beyond 2012.
Canberra pushes hard for fresh deal with India
20-Aug-2007 News.com.au
Australia will attempt to negotiate a free trade agreement with India as part of a historic shift in relations with the emerging economic powerhouse of South Asia.
EU-ASEAN: EU upbeat on prospects
20-Aug-2007 The Nation
Asean and the EU started unofficial talks on the free-trade agreement in Vietnam in July. They are scheduled to draw up a modality framework of the free-trade talks in the Philippines next month. This preparation is before Asean holds official negotiations with the EU early next year.
EAC states avert major dispute over trade agreements with EU
20-Aug-2007 East African
A major dispute between partner states of the East African Community has been averted after the parties agreed that all the five members will now collectively sign one Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union
Tanzania will rue the cost of starting with SADC
20-Aug-2007 East African
With the partner states of the East African Community having agreed to negotiate an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe under one roof, Tanzania may be forced to count the cost of forgoing a relatively successful regional grouping in East Africa against political solidarity with Southern Africa’s regional power base — South Africa.
Africa: Lobbies want talks on EU trade pacts held up for three years
19-Aug-2007 AllAfrica.com
Civil society groups in Africa have called for the suspension of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries for at least three years to allow African governments to critically look through other regional initiatives they are already engaged in.
Free trade is a prison
19-Aug-2007 East African
As the world prepares to celebrate the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition on August 23, a new book on the lessons learnt from that trade and how its “successor,” free trade is undermining democracy and justice in Africa has just been published.