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FTA with Thailand opens can of worms for automakers
10-Dec-2004 AAN
The Japanese government has urged Thailand to lift tariffs on car imports as part of its efforts to conclude a free trade agreement. At the same time, Japanese automakers, whose affiliated firms take up most of the Thai auto market, are cautious about the FTA because it could cause fierce competition between the same Japanese car models.
Govt cautioned not to rush FTAs
10-Dec-2004 Nation
Proponents and opponents of free-trade agreements stood firm Tuesday on their respective positions, while a government adviser warned against completing negotiations in haste.
Agriculture reforms go against Korea’s grain
10-Dec-2004 Asia Times
In excluding agriculture from FTA negotiations, the South Korean government is setting itself up for even greater domestic backlash when multilateral negotiations pry open a sector insulated from any form of competition.
Singapore and Thailand top lists of completed FTAs
7-Dec-2004 ANN
Singapore and Thailand have emerged as the two Asian countries with the highest number of completed free trade agreements (FTA), according to Asia News Network reports.
Japan, Philippines FTA shows foreign worker hurdles
7-Dec-2004 Reuters AlterNet
Japan and the Philippines on Monday clinched a broad free trade agreement (FTA) that would include letting a trickle of nurses into Japan to help cope with a shortage.
EIU: Free-trade free-for-all
7-Dec-2004 EIU ViewsWire
If proof were needed that an Asian free-trade "arms race" has begun in earnest, then the 10th ASEAN summit in Vientiane on November 29th-30th provided it in abundance. The highlight of the summit was the signing of an FTA between China and ASEAN, but equally striking was the number of other trade pacts that were, variously, agreed, worked on or proposed during the meeting in the Lao capital.
India, WTO lock horns over FTAs
6-Dec-2004
India made it clear on Monday that it would aggressively push for more regional trade agreements, though it attached importance to the multilateral trading system.
Algeria set to join WTO, sign US free trade agreement
6-Dec-2004
“Our economy is based too much on hydrocarbons. We must diversify our economy. If not, Algeria will become lost in the global marketplace,” Abdelhamid Temmar, chief economic counsel to President Abdelaziz Bouteflila, said last week during meetings with finance and trade leaders in Washington.
Net giants seek to change FTA rules
6-Dec-2004 The Australian
Australia’s largest internet service providers have made an 11th-hour bid to amend the free trade agreement with the US, claiming it would expose them to an avalanche of litigation.
Investment: The rising tide of South-South investment agreements
6-Dec-2004 South Centre
Agreements on investments between developing countries have increased substantially in both number and geographical coverage over the past decade, according to UNCTAD data released on 23 November 2004.
Analysis: South Korea strives for FTAs
5-Dec-2004 World Peace Herald
South Korea, which has long remained out of the race for free trade zones, has geared up for high-profile efforts to jump on the free trade bandwagon, which could ensure more benefits to its export-driven economy.
The US-Jordan FTA: Defogging the Myth
3-Dec-2004
The U.S-Jordan FTA is a “first” FTA in two ways. It is the first FTA to be ever concluded with an Arab country. It is also the first FTA to include labor and environment within the text of the FTA itself.
Euro-Med Association Agreements: the Partnership is moving forward
27-Nov-2004 EU
An essential feature of the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership has been the negotiation of Association Agreements between the European Union and nine of its Mediterranean Partners to replace the 1970s Co-operation Agreements.
A serendipitous exception in FTAs
26-Nov-2004
At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile last weekend, leaders discussed economic issues, especially trade. Singapore and Peru, for example, agreed to initiate talks for a free trade agreement.
Musharraf keen to seal FTA deal with Dhaka fast
26-Nov-2004
Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has expressed his keenness for early conclusion of bilateral free trade agreement between Bangladesh and Pakistan for further expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries.
SPS issues and free trade agreements
25-Nov-2004
While the main US goal on agriculture in many FTA negotiations often is to secure non-SPS related concessions such as lower tariffs, the foreign partners often see the FTA as an opportunity to resolve outstanding SPS issues with the US as well as seek accelerated new market access to the US for their animal and plant products.
India, SACU gearing up for FTA
24-Nov-2004 Financial Express
India and members of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) hope to have a “limited scope agreement” for more liberal trading by next year, the first concrete step towards a free trade agreement (FTA).
Seoul to start FTA talks with ASEAN in 2005
24-Nov-2004 Korea Times
South Korea will start negotiations next year for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
SA near to clinching another trade deal
24-Nov-2004 AllAfrica.com
SACU’s deal with Efta will be a scaled-down version of the original: Efta members have agreed to Sacu’s request to shelve complex issues such as government procurement, intellectual property and investment.
Driving a hard bargain: Trade agreements easier said than done
24-Nov-2004 Asahi
Japan is proving a tough negotiator for countries with their hopes pinned on FTAs.