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US, Japan kick off trade talks amid China deal optimism
15-Apr-2019 France 24
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japan’s Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are set to embark on two days of talks in Washington.
EU approves new trade talks with US
15-Apr-2019 BBC
European Union countries have approved plans for trade talks with the United States. France voted against and Belgium abstained.
China expects smooth negotiations on Free Trade Zone with Japan, ROK
15-Apr-2019 ECNS.CN
China expressed the hope for smooth progress of negotiations on Free Trade Zone with Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK).
The Belt and Road Initiative: A new road or a dead-end for peoples’ development?
15-Apr-2019 Ibon International
What does the BRI mean from the perspective of the development of peoples in the global South?
Pak-Turkey SEF Plan of Action: Pakistan wants to settle FTA by June 2019
15-Apr-2019 Business Recorder
Pakistan is seeking to conclude Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey by June 2019 that offers the lowest tariff on all tariff lines extended by Turkey to its other trading partners.
Comm Min asks independent agencies to hold industry specific consultations on RCEP
15-Apr-2019 Business Standard
The Indian commerce ministry has asked the three agencies, which have been tasked to prepare a report on proposed mega trade agreement RCEP, to get into greater details of issues involved in the pact and hold industry specific consultations
Experts warn: As G-20 tariffs drop, carbon emissions skyrocket
12-Apr-2019 Mongabay
Tariff reductions by G-20 countries will sharply increase global carbon dioxide emissions. The lowering of tariffs through trade agreements has facilitated this offshoring of emissions.
The African single market takes a step forward as the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement becomes a reality
12-Apr-2019 Hogan Lovels
As a second step, negotiators will focus on rules pertaining to intellectual property rights, competition policy and investment, which they aim to finalise by June 2020.
France to vote no to trade talks between US and Europe
12-Apr-2019 The Local
France will vote against the start of trade talks between the European Union and the United States, the French presidency has said, despite EU members agreeing in principle to begin the discussions.
Bangladesh keen to sign FTA with South American trade bloc to promote export
12-Apr-2019 Dhaka Tribune
Bangladesh has expressed it interest to sign FTA with South American trade bloc Mercosur at an early date to tap the under-exploited South American market.
Government concealed failure to cancel the old, worse version of ISDS in new Indonesia trade deal
11-Apr-2019 AFTINET
Detailed scrutiny of the text of the recent Indonesia trade deal has revealed that there are no provisions to cancel the old 1993 Indonesia-Australia bilateral investment agreement.
Eurasian Economic Union not ready to fully abolish trade restrictions with China - Official
11-Apr-2019 Urdu Point
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states are not ready to create a free-trade area (FTA) with China.
China, EU aim to conclude comprehensive investment agreement in 2020
11-Apr-2019 Xinhua Net
China and the European Union (EU) aim to conclude a comprehensive bilateral investment agreement in 2020.
Quantifying the policy space for regulating capital flows in trade and investment treaties
10-Apr-2019 The Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four
The international trade and investment treaty regime is increasingly restricting the policy space for regulating cross-border financial flows, study finds.
Trump promised a new trade policy. But his new NAFTA might be worse than the old one
10-Apr-2019 Washington Post
The intensifying debate over the renegotiated NAFTA that President Trump is seeking to rebrand as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) suggests that the president’s trade policy is not so different from those of his predecessors.
US wants more from Japan than under TPP
10-Apr-2019 NHK World Japan
US wants bigger compromise from Japan on tariffs for American farm goods than the two countries had agreed on for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Maldives ruling party pledges probe into Chinese deals after landslide win
10-Apr-2019 South China Morning Post
Maldives former president Mohamed Nasheed, whose party won a landslide in the archipelago’s parliamentary election, on Tuesday pledged to conduct a thorough probe into deals with China.
Indonesia, Malaysia send letter protesting EU palm oil curbs
10-Apr-2019 Reuters
The leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia sent a letter of objection to the European Union criticizing its decision to no longer consider palm oil as a green fuel and threatening the bloc’s ties with the countries.
Two-day parleys on CPFTA-II begin today
10-Apr-2019 Business Recorder
Pakistan and China are holding a two-day (April 9-10, 2019) parleys in Beijing to finalise second phase of China Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA), which is expected to attract criticism from domestic industry.
EU warns of initiating expert panel if S. Korea fails to resolve ILO ratification
9-Apr-2019 Yonhap
The European Commission warned that it will seek to launch an expert panel to review South Korea’s compliance with the free trade pact it signed with the European Union if it fails to ratify key international labor conventions.