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Free trade proposal splits Bolivian city
15-Mar-2005 New York Times
Under the Andean pact, dozens of Bolivian products enter the United States duty-free. That pact expires at the end of 2006. The United States now wants Bolivia to agree to a quite different kind of deal, one that would open exporters like furniture and leather-goods makers to American investment. It would also fly in the face of efforts by the Bolivian left to enact a stringent law that would expand state control over the oil and gas industry.
China human rights not FTA issue: Downer
14-Mar-2005 The Age
Australia should not try to raise human rights issues with China if formal talks about a free trade agreement begin, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says. "You won’t get the free trade agreement and you won’t get any improvements in human rights."
Howard eyes Chinese free trade deal
14-Mar-2005 ABC
Prime Minister John Howard says there is a good chance Australia will begin negotiating with China on a free trade deal. China is Australia’s third largest trading partner and the Government says if an agreement is signed it could be worth tens of billions of dollars to the Australian economy.
Thailand: Govt pushes ahead with EFTA trade liberalization talks
13-Mar-2005 TNA
The Thai Ministry of Commerce is pressing ahead with plans to establish a free trade area (FTA) with Europe, amid hopes that it could boost trade by more than 15 percent each year.
Oman expects FTA with US by year end
13-Mar-2005 Daily Times
The Sultanate of Oman has expressed hope that the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the USA, for which negotiations are to start on Saturday, would be concluded before the end of this year to give a new edge to Oman’s liberal economy in an era of globlisation.
Asia embraces free-trade links
13-Mar-2005 IHT
Malaysia is joining a long and growing list of Pacific nations rushing to sign free-trade agreements with their biggest trading partners.
Singapore, UAE ink economic cooperation pact, eye FTA
12-Mar-2005 Kyodo
Singapore and the United Arab Emirates signed Friday an economic, trade and technical cooperation pact that could lead to the launch of negotiations for a free trade deal between the two countries, Singapore’s Trade and Industry Ministry said Friday.
Free trade deal highlights clash over service sector
12-Mar-2005
New Zealand’s free trade agreement with Thailand, which is due to come into effect on July 1, has no commitments to liberalize trade in services. It only requires the parties to begin negotiations within three years.
Guatemala ratifies free trade pact with United States
10-Mar-2005 San Diego Union Tribune
Shrugging off rowdy protests in the streets, Guatemala’s Congress voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to ratify a Central American free trade agreement with the United States.
Summary of events of 9 March against the DR-CAFTA in Guatemala
10-Mar-2005 IMC Chiapas
This morning, rural Guatemala spilled more farmers into the streets of the capital for the third day in a row, trying to block the Congress from ratifying the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Last week 6,000 people protested in the same location for the same reason. More protests are expected.
Conference on free trade agreement in Melbourne
10-Mar-2005
Australia will be hosting a conference on the Australia-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement on March 10 in Melbourne. The conference, which is organised by Monash University, is supported by the Australian Government.
FTA with China may take five years
10-Mar-2005
A free trade deal with China may take up to five years to negotiate but it will cover contentious areas including cuts to Australia’s textile and clothing tariffs.
Guatemala set to quash FTA protests with troops
10-Mar-2005
Protesters blocked access to the legislature to prevent a vote on a trade pact with Washington, and lawmakers who ventured outside were chased for blocks.
Vanaspati units seek changes in FTAs with Nepal, Lanka
10-Mar-2005
Vanaspati industry has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make suitable amendments in the free trade agreements (FTAs) with Nepal and Sri Lanka.
China moves on free trade negotiations
8-Mar-2005 Asia Pulse
China will continue to actively pursue the establishment of free trade areas (FTA) after starting talks on this issue with 23 countries across the world.
Gulf Emirate says there are no political strings attached to free trade talks with Washington
8-Mar-2005 Middle East Online
The United Arab Emirates said on Monday it was not committing itself to any changes in foreign policy by entering into talks on a free trade pact with the United States. The statement followed reports that Washington would ask Abu Dhabi to drop a trade boycott of Israel during the negotiations, which kick off here on Tuesday.
Letter to reject environment chapter of CAFTA (Eng/Esp)
8-Mar-2005
We are enclosing a letter in English and Spanish proposed by different Central American and USA organizations to be delivered in our respective Congresses. We are protesting the contents and consecuences that the US-DR-CAFTA will bring in general to the society and the environment, but especially in this case Chapter No. 17 related to environment.
Drug deal gone bad
8-Mar-2005 Al-Ahram
A group of US companies, represented by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), has expressed concern regarding approval by the Egyptian Ministry of Health for some 500 generic versions of patented drugs.
Southern African countries have taken firm stand against EFTA demands on intellectual property rights in free trade agreement
7-Mar-2005
A letter sent by South African Trade Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa to the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa confirms that the demand of EFTA Countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) to include provisions on intellectual property rights relating to medicines and agriculture in the Free Trade Agreement with SACU (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland) has been rejected.
Taiwan hoping to start negotiations on free trade agreement with Malaysia
7-Mar-2005 Taipei Times
Taiwan is pushing for a free trade agreement (FTA) with Malaysia in an attempt to further prop up substantive ties between the two countries.