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Japan-S. Korea FTA faces stormy ride
18-Dec-2004 Yomiuri Shimbun
Negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement between Japan and South Korea are expected to face tough going because of ongoing disputes in specific areas of bilateral trade.
Viewpoint: Is ASEAN irrelevant?
17-Dec-2004 PDI
Drastic imbalance is likely to be the result of the China-ASEAN FTA. But the blame for this is not China’s. The responsibility is largely ASEAN’s. We had 30 years to build an ASEAN house, and we blew it.
Allgeier praises growth of bilateral trade between Uruguay and the U.S.
17-Dec-2004
Deputy United States Trade Representative Peter F. Allgeier states recently signed BIT with Uruguay will raise investor confidence and lower the perceived country risk.
Egyptians protest trade accord with Israel
16-Dec-2004 Mail and Guardian
Scores of Egyptians protested across the country on Tuesday against the signing of a strategic trade and industry accord between Egypt and Israel, slamming the agreement as a form of colonialism.
Agriculture: Arab trade agreement may be fatal for Lebanon’s farmers
16-Dec-2004 Daily Star
Lebanese farmers say the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement (Gafta) could wipe them out when it goes into effect Jan. 1. If that happens, they promise to take to the streets in protest.
Egypt-Israel-US trade pact sparks demonstrations
16-Dec-2004
As the first Arab nation, the government of Egypt yesterday signed a trade pact with its neighbour Israel that will help breaking the latter’s economic isolation. After the controversial trade agreement was made known, demonstrations broke out throughout the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Japan, RI plan new investment, trade deal
16-Dec-2004 Jakarta Post
The governments of Japan and Indonesia are mulling a new economic agreement, which would see the latter offering Japanese firms incentives to invest here.
Launch of negotiations for EU-Thailand and EU-Singapore ’Partnership and Cooperation Agreements’
16-Dec-2004 EU
At the fifth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Hanoi, PM Jean Claude Juncker, incoming President of the European Council, President Romano Prodi of the European Commission, PM Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand and PM Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore confirmed their intent to launch official negotiations for the conclusion of bilateral ’Partnership and Co-operation Agreements’ between EU-Thailand and between EU-Singapore.
US-Taiwan free trade agreement in pipeline?
16-Dec-2004 IPS
In last week’s parliamentary elections, Taiwan’s opposition party won a surprise victory which could spell trouble for a bilateral FTA with the United States.
S. Korea aggressively seeks trade pacts to make up for late start
16-Dec-2004 Yonhap
South Korea will make a determined effort to pursue free trade agreements (FTAs) in an effort to further its interests, despite concerns that this could weaken domestic industries and pose further challenges for the agricultural sector.
Gvt procurement: FTA provides lucrative contracts for Australian businesses
16-Dec-2004 PM
Australian businesses are preparing for an assault on the $200 billion US Government procurement market when the US-Australia FTA takes effect in just over a fortnight.
Cuba and Venezuela slam US Free Trade Area of the Americas
15-Dec-2004 Pravda
In a new bid to challenge the US backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Tuesday announced in Havana an alternative bloc for the region based in mutual cooperation among states rather than in pure pro-market policies.
South Korea is a latecomer on freer trade
15-Dec-2004 The Nation
Until April, South Korea was the only member of the World Trade Organisation other than Mongolia without a free-trade agreement (FTA). Now it is trying to catch up in a hurry.
Twelve-country report on FTAs
15-Dec-2004 ANN
A report on the status of FTA fever in 12 Asian countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Signing of Qualified Industrial Zones Agreement (QIZ)
14-Dec-2004
On December 14, Israel, Egypt and the United States will sign the agreement leading to the establishment of Qualified Industrial Zones in Cairo, Egypt.
Egypt, Israel sign deal on free trade with US
14-Dec-2004
Egypt and Israel will sign a joint free-trade agreement with the United States in Cairo today
Gov’t seeks ’Kaesong provision’ in future FTAs
14-Dec-2004
The South Korean government said that it will seek provisions in future free trade talks that will permit preferential duties for products from the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea so that they will be treated as if produced in the South.
New FTA website to be created
14-Dec-2004
A new website dedicated to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Bahrain and the US is being created by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Third round of Thai-US FTA talks postponed until after election
14-Dec-2004
The third round of free trade talks between the United States and Thailand has been postponed until after the latter’s general election in February 2005, local press reported on Monday.
Labour: The spread of bilateral trade agreements
14-Dec-2004 GURN (135kb PDF)
This report looks at major Customs Unions, Free Trade Areas, and economic association agreements around the world, with particular attention to any clauses covering social issues, core labour standards and trade union participation.