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Reject Trump’s threat to affordable medicines through TPP
Government should reject Trump’s threat to affordable medicines through TPP and other trade deals.
Draft Council conclusions on the negotiation and conclusion of EU trade agreements
EU member states approved the Commission plans to keep investment protection provisions seperate from trade agreements so that they can be approved without the ratification of national or regional parliaments.
Report of working group III (Investor-State Dispute Settlement reform) on the work of its thirty-fifth session (New York, 23-27 April 2018)
The working group continued its deliberations on identification of concerns in the field of ISDS, as contemplated in the first part of the mandate.
NAFTA 2.0, junk food labeling and public health
NAFTA 2.0 could effectively prevent all three governments from adopting some of the most effective public health policies to reduce obesity and prevent related health conditions.
Ukraine, Turkey complete tenth round of FTA talks
During this round of talks, the delegations made a progress in the issues regarding the access to the telecommunications and e-commerce markets.
Ukraine, Macedonia to review FTA conditions in near future
Ukraine and Macedonia will hold a round of negotiations on the revision of the provisions of the free trade agreement concluded in 2001.
Federal Court ruling sparks renewed criticism of NAFTA investor-state dispute resolution
A Federal Court ruling in favour of an American company that is seeking millions in damages from Canada has prompted environmental groups to renew their calls for Ottawa to push to scrap the NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state dispute resolution system during the ongoing free trade renegotiations with the United States and Mexico.
Maine state legislators endorse removing ISDS from NAFTA
The Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission, a legislator-run, bipartisan governmental body, recently sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative calling for ISDS to be removed in its entirety from NAFTA.
S/African gov’t approves African tripartite FTA pact, industrial action plan
The TFTA seeks to establish an enlarged market involving 27 member countries from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and Southern African Development Community.
Georgia, Israel launch joint feasibility study on free trade agreement
Georgia’s Vice-Premier and Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili and the Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel Eli Cohen signed the declaration on launching the feasibility study on free trade agreement negotiations between Georgia and Israel.
Professionals say Sri Lankan govt. rushed into Singapore FTA
In Sri Lanka, the top professional bodies representing engineers, architects, town planners and quantity surveyors and other related professions this week charged that the government has rushed into signing the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) without having proper legal frameworks in place to ensure job security of local professionals and the possible entry of under-qualified overseas professionals.
Perspectives on Pacific geopolitics
The rise of China in the Indo-Pacific has also challenged the long-standing dominance of US in Asia. Therefore, political uncertainty in the US, rapid economic growth, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its growing assertiveness, and erosion of ASEAN unity – among others – has compelled India to step up its contribution to a region that is also of vital economic interest to India.
Russia refuses to pay out compensation for annexation of Crimea
Russia notified the PCA in 2015 that the bilateral Russian-Ukrainian investment agreement of 1998 "can not serve as the basis for the formation of arbitration for the settlement of the dispute".
Negotiations over NAFTA are bogging down ahead of a major deadline
Negotiations over a new North American trade deal have hit a major snag, leaving White House officials increasingly uncertain of their ability to hit their May 18 deadline for securing congressional approval of a new deal before year’s end.
Elliott seeks $670 mil. compensation from gov’t over Samsung C&T merger
Elliott Associates is demanding more than $670 million in compensation from the government for losses and damages it claims to have suffered regarding the merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in 2015.
Rusoro files fresh lawsuits for $1.34bn compensation from Venezuela
Rusoro Mining has filed lawsuits in the US and Canada to seek compensation via the monetisation of Venezuela’s assets amounting to approximately $1.34bn in connection with the nationalisation of its gold mining assets in Venezuela.
South Korea to decide on participation in TPP within this year: Trade Minister
The South Korean government will decide on its participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) within this year, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu was quoted as saying on May 9 by Japanese newspapers.
Chinese, Japanese trade ministers pledge to enhance cooperation, support free trade
Trade ministers of China and Japan pledged to further enhance bilateral economic and trade cooperation during their meeting here on Wednesday.
Crucial ingredients for meaningful reform at UNCITRAL: Withdrawal of consent to arbitrate and termination of existing treaties
This is a crucial moment in international investment policymaking. Two factors have converged, calling for a new direction.
The Federal Court of Canada and the end of investor-state dispute settlement in NAFTA?
A decision by the Federal Court of Canada should spell the end of the NAFTA renegotiation on the investment Chapter of NAFTA, and ignite a renegotiation of the investment chapters of the Canada-EU trade agreement and the CPATPP.