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Korea, China not ready for free trade pact: trade official
10-Aug-2006
A South Korean trade official, who participated in the recent free trade negotiations with Washington, said that Seoul was not in a position to play the "China card" in its negotiations with the United States for fear of causing unnecessary backlash from Washington, referring to the negotiation leverage that might be gained by first signing a free trade pact with China.
How the public participate in taking the position and action against FTA?
10-Aug-2006 Media Culture Action against neoliberal globalization
Experiences & strategies for radical communication in (counter) public sphere around Kor-US FTA talk during the 1st half of 2006
Free Trade Agreements, Are They Good For American Businesses?
9-Aug-2006
The U.S. House International Relations Committee held a hearing on Thursday July 20, 2006 on Asian Free Trade Agreements and questioned if they are good for American businesses and American workers, according to American Samoa Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin.
Dhaka asks Bimstec to be flexible for equitable trade
9-Aug-2006
Bangladesh urged the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) countries to show more flexibility in addressing concerns of all member-countries to ensure equitable trade under the Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement.
Massa rips free trade deals
9-Aug-2006
Congressional hopeful Eric Massa of Corning said Tuesday his opposition to "burn-down-the-barn free trade agreements" is the biggest difference between him and his opponent this fall, U.S. Rep. John R. Kuhl Jr., R-Hammondsport.
’Korea unprepared for U.S. FTA talks’
9-Aug-2006
Eight out of ten lawmakers think the government were insufficiently prepared to enter free trade talks with the United States, and criticized them for failing to seek a national consensus before starting negotiations two months ago.
Politics of corn loom for divided Mexico
9-Aug-2006 ABC News
The disputed election has raised tensions over a pending NAFTA deadline to halt corn and bean import tarriffs.
WTO: Best left for dead?
9-Aug-2006 TomPaine.com
Confronting the bilateral FTAs will no doubt present fresh difficulties for activists. After all, bilateral negotiations were advancing with or without the multilateral body.
Brazil says Mexico may join Mercosur
9-Aug-2006
Brazil Trade and Industry Minister Luiz Fernando Furlan said Monday that Mexico could join the South American trade block Mercosur within a year.
Labor urge caution on China FTA
9-Aug-2006
Federal Labor Leader Kim Beazley has urged caution in negotiating a free trade agreement with China, as federal cabinet shows signs of a split over parts of the proposed deal.
Seoul reveals a lack of experience in FTA negotiations
9-Aug-2006
"We are learning new things while we’re negotiating with the American representatives," said a Korean official who was part of the labor section negotiation team during the first round of the Korea-U.S. FTA talks, held in Washington last June. "The U.S. is demanding the introduction of a so-called ’public communication system,’ which was a term that we heard for the first time," the negotiator told Hankyoreh.
Pakistan and Thailand to finalise FTA by end of Year: PM
9-Aug-2006
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said Pakistan and Thailand had agreed to finalise Free Trade Agreement (FTA) before the end of this year to further promote and boost bilateral trade and economic relations.
Putting world trade back together again
9-Aug-2006
The Irish poet WB Yeats wrote that when things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. The Doha round has finally fallen apart. What, if anything, can hold the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the multilateral trading system together?
China FTA will be comprehensive: Downer
9-Aug-2006
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer says Australia does not want to disrupt investment plans in the automotive and clothing industries through its free trade negotiations with China.
East Asia FTA can be done in 10 years, says Ong
9-Aug-2006
A free trade agreement (FTA) between Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) and China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and India (East Asia FTA) is possible in the next 10 years, Asean secretary-general, Ong Keng Yong, said Tuesday.
Trade pact with China stuck over security
9-Aug-2006
Security concerns over investments from China is impacting the proposed Bilateral Investment Promotion Agreement with Beijing. North Block’s proposal to amend the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) is stuck, delaying the signing of the agreement.
Thailand may lose US trade privileges
9-Aug-2006
Thailand is included in a group of 13 countries that may lose preferential tariffs when the US revamps its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program at the end of the year, US officials said yesterday.
Managing Globalization: A new trade bandwagon - Are rich-poor pacts fair?
9-Aug-2006
You might as well call it Newton’s Third Law of Trade Negotiations.
Political problems no threat to FTAs, says Kantathi
9-Aug-2006
Thailand yesterday dismissed news reports that political problems at home had delayed negotiations on free-trade agreements (FTAs) among members of the regional Bimstec trade bloc.
FTAs and RTAs: The political imperative
8-Aug-2006
Last week, Sanjaya Baru, the media advisor to the prime minister, and an economist in a previous avatar, published a book called The Strategic Consequences of India’s Economic Performance. Amongst other things in it, he argues for more regional trading agreements.