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As the Amazon faces its greatest threat yet, Canada can reject free trade deal with Brazil
20-Nov-2020 The Hill Times
This is about survival: scientists warn that the Amazon is approaching a tipping point beyond, which the rainforest cannot sustain itself. If that happens, there would be a massive die-off of plant and animal species.
Japan aims to expand CPTPP trade pact as UK, China eye membership
20-Nov-2020 Reuters
Japan aims to expand a major regional free trade pact called the CPTPP, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday, potentially catering for China’s and Britain’s interest in joining the deal.
India pulled out of RCEP as concerns not addressed: S Jaishankar
19-Nov-2020 Mint
India refused to join RCEP citing reservations that goods manufactured by China could come into India. Jaishankar also said India would like a fair and balanced trade deal with the European Union.
NBR advises against deal in case Bangladesh has trade deficit
19-Nov-2020 Financial Express Bangladesh
The revenue board has suggested refraining from signing any free trade or preferential trade agreements with the countries having huge trade gap with Bangladesh.
UK, Canada on brink of trade agreement, replacing EU deal
19-Nov-2020 Bloomberg
Announcement could come as early as Thursday: people familiar. Two countries negotiating to protect $23 billion relationship.
Too early to join CPTPP: Taiwan economic minister
19-Nov-2020 Taiwan News
The time is not yet ripe for Taiwan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), economic minister Wang Mei-hua said.
Central Asian NGOs raise concerns about BRI projects
19-Nov-2020 The Third Pole
Experts are calling on their governments to strengthen oversight of Belt and Road Initiative projects as anger rises over their environmental and social impacts.
RCEP - a wake up call to rethink the failed hyperglobalisation model
19-Nov-2020 Scoop World
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that was signed virtually yesterday is a wake up call for the cheerleaders of hyperglobalisation: countries and their peoples have become wary and weary of these mega-free trade deals
China-Japan-SK FTA to speed up with RCEP push
19-Nov-2020 Global Times
In the wake of the successful signing of the world’s largest trade deal - RCEP that encompasses a third of the global economy, a higher level trilateral free trade agreement(FTA) among China, Japan and South Korea is likely to be reached sooner than expected.
Namibia ratifies new Economic Partnership Agreement
18-Nov-2020 New Era Live
Namibia ratified the SACU-Mozambique and United Kingdom Economic Partnership Agreement (SACUM - UK EPA) in the National Assembly on 20 October 2020.
State puts RCEP pact on fast track
18-Nov-2020 Bangkok Post
Seeing the pact as a vital tool for economic recovery and growth, Thai ministry expects free trade among RCEP members to start by the middle of next year, following almost eight years of talks.
RCEP, a threat to our rights - POP
18-Nov-2020 People Over Profit
RCEP is a threat to people’s rights. Thus, it is imperative that the people push back the neoliberal narrative of RCEP and confront the corporate dictates over economic and political policies.
Secretive mega-trade deal rules could harm Asia’s Covid-19 recovery
18-Nov-2020 Inter Press Service News Agency
Fifteen countries will sign a mega-trade deal at the ASEAN conference this weekend imposing secretive restrictions on how governments help workers through the pandemic, trade union leaders and parliamentarians have warned.
What is RCEP and why are Trade Unions in the Asia-Pacific Region concerned about It?
18-Nov-2020 News Click
Even as the new agreement between ASEAN nations and its free trade partners establishes the largest trading bloc in the world, it is vehemently being opposed by labor unions, trade justice groups and women’s movements
Explainer: What happens now the RCEP trade deal has been signed?
17-Nov-2020 Reuters
Fifteen Asia-Pacific economies signed what could become the world’s largest free trade agreement on Sunday, covering nearly a third of the global population and about 30% of its global gross domestic product.
S. Korea, Cambodia to hold 4th round of FTA talks
17-Nov-2020 Yonhap
South Korea will hold the fourth round of free trade talks with Cambodia this week as part of efforts to diversify its export portfolio in Southeast Asia.
Qatar, Tunisia discuss signing free trade agreement
17-Nov-2020 The Peninsula
The two countries aim to increase the volume of trade exchange and diversify it by signing a free trade agreement.
Tensions simmer over EU-Africa trade relations
17-Nov-2020 Euractiv
Trade relations are likely to be at the heart of the delayed EU-Africa ‘strategic partnership’, but only if long-standing tensions can be resolved.
No agreements that are FTAs by stealth with China, to focus on EU, US: India on RCEP
17-Nov-2020 The Economic Times
India will avoid joining agreements which are actually trade pacts by stealth with China and instead explore trade agreements with developed countries with large markets such as the US and EU where Indian products and services would be competitive unlike ASEAN.
Taiwan talks up trans-Pacific trade pact after exclusion from world’s largest free-trade bloc RCEP
16-Nov-2020 The Straits Times
Trade-dependent Taiwan has made relatively good progress towards joining the revamped version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but it is awaiting clearer rules on membership, the island’s chief trade negotiator said.