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Korea demands recognition for generic drugs
19-Oct-2006 Korea Times
A Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for pharmaceuticals is likely to speed up in the fourth round of the FTA talks, which will begin place Monday on Cheju Island.
South Africa to host extraordinary SADC summit
19-Oct-2006 Africast
The summit will focus on the current status of implementation of the Free Trade Area (FTA) in terms of the main activities required to complete the FTA by 2008.
Study suggests Bangladesh to ink FTAs with India, Pakistan
18-Oct-2006 News from Bangladesh
A new study says Bangladesh should sign Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India and Pakistan, but fails to identify what the FTAs would have in addition to South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
China, ROK agree to start negotiations on free trade area
18-Oct-2006 People’s Daily
China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Friday agreed to start negotiations on a free trade area (FTA) as soon as possible.
Free trade agreement with Australia within two years: official
18-Oct-2006 People’s Daily
China and Australia are looking to make substantial progress in free trade negotiations with the aim of signing an agreement within two years, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Chong Quan said on Monday.
Bush to push free trade initiative at APEC summit
18-Oct-2006
US President George W. Bush is expected to push for a plan to improve the patchwork of free trade initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region at the annual APEC summit in Vietnam next month.
Japanese ’upset by delay in FTA’
18-Oct-2006 Bangkok Post
Japanese investors have voiced concern over the Thai government’s decision to postpone a signing of the Thai-Japanese free trade area (FTA) agreement, according to the Commerce Ministry.
WTO’s Lamy warns about bilateral deals
18-Oct-2006 Houston Chronicle
Poor nations will lose out if major global trade players opt for bilateral deals instead of working toward a global trade pact, WTO director general Pascal Lamy said Tuesday.
Data exclusivity regulations in India
18-Oct-2006
New Indian data exclusivity patenting regulations will severely hinder generic AIDS drugs manufacturing in India, and thus less people will have access to AIDS therapy globally. The world’s poor overwhelmingly make up this population with lack of access. Because of this, moral human rights and distributive justice approaches should compel India to take an equity-oriented approach in access to AIDS medicines and reject data exclusivity regulations currently under discussion.
Canada’s quiet free trade agreement
18-Oct-2006 Upside Down World
One of the agreements the Canadian government is trying to finalize is the Central America Four Free Trade Agreement (CA4TA) with Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Uri Party proposes FTA-for-security deal
17-Oct-2006 Korea Times
“Protection of US investors comes with the provision of a nuclear umbrella for Korea,” the chief policymaker of Korea’s ruling Uri Party said yesterday
Costa Rican sectors battle US trade
17-Oct-2006 Prensa Latina
The withdrawal of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States and development of alternatives are some of the actions proposed by deputies, social organizations and sectors that oppose to the ratification of that agreement on Monday.
US FTA may cost drug industry $1.2 billion: gov’t
17-Oct-2006 Hankyoreh
A proposed free trade agreement with the United States is expected to cost as much as 1 trillion won (US$1.2 billion) in damage to the South Korean pharmaceutical industry if the US proposal for the deal is accepted, the South Korean government said.
India, ASEAN to meet next month for FTA talks
17-Oct-2006 The Hindu
India and ASEAN will make another attempt next month to break the deadlock in talks for a Free Trade Agreement, which if clinched would come into force in 2007.
Group accuses Jordan of failing to enforce labor rights
16-Oct-2006 LA Times
Critics of US trade policy say the recent incidents in Jordan illustrate the dangers of forging trade agreements that don’t adequately protect workers from abuse.
India must get 5% EU trade share by 2011: CII
16-Oct-2006 The Hindu
India needs to strive toward becoming the second or third largest partner for European Union and increase its contribution in EU trade from the present 1.5 per cent to five per cent by 2011, industry body CII said Sunday.
Britain urges EU to change stance on free trade talks
16-Oct-2006 The Guardian
Gareth Thomas, international development minister, and Ian McCartney, minister of state for trade, are calling for the European commission to be more flexible in its approach and consider alternative agreements, should developing countries choose not to enter an EPA.
GCC countries ’rush into US free trade agreements’
16-Oct-2006 Gulf News
The Dubai police chief said on Saturday that GCC countries that have signed bilateral free trade agreements with the United States "rushed into them".
S. Korean farmers, activists plan anti-FTA protests next week
16-Oct-2006 Asia Pulse
More than 3,000 South Korean farmers and activists plan to hold peaceful demonstrations next week to protest against a fourth round of free trade talks with the United States, organizers said Monday.
S. Korea to introduce import safeguards for FTA with ASEAN
16-Oct-2006 Asia Pulse
South Korea plans to introduce special safeguard measures to protect local companies from import surges that may occur once its free trade pact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) goes into effect, the government said Monday.