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Written notification of withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty
18-Mar-2026 Energy Charter
On 16 March 2026, Iceland deposited with the Energy Charter Secretariat, in its capacity as the Depositary of the Energy Charter Treaty on an interim basis.
India-Gulf bloc FTA talks likely only in second half of the year as Iran war rages
18-Mar-2026 Money Control
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, signed the Terms of Reference February to launch FTA negotiations
Dhaka, Delhi move to fast-track CEPA talks
18-Mar-2026 The Financial Express
Bangladesh and India accelerate negotiations to conclude a comprehensive economic deal aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, lowering tariff-and non-tariff barriers, attracting investment and deepening economic integration, sources say.
Paraguay becomes final South American country to approve Mercosur-European Union trade deal
18-Mar-2026 AP
Paraguay became the latest and final South American country to ratify the landmark free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which will establish one of the world’s largest free trade zones.
’Home stretch’ for EU trade talks, but meat access remains the final hurdle
17-Mar-2026 Farm Online
Australia and the European Union have moved back into the "end game" of long-running free trade negotiations, with momentum building after a fresh ministerial push and leaders poised to step in to attempt to reach a final agreement.
Fate of US-Malaysia trade pact rests on Washington’s next move
17-Mar-2026 South China Morning Post
The US$240 billion deal isn’t ‘null and void’ yet, says the trade minister, as Malaysia waits for Washington to submit updated terms.
India in talks for six FTAs with Australia, Sri Lanka, Peru, Chile and others
17-Mar-2026 The Hindu Businessline
The government is also advancing other trade initiatives, including agreements with the United Kingdom and Oman awaiting ratification, concluded negotiations with the European Union and New Zealand, and ongoing talks with the United States and several other partners
India inks ToR with Philippines and Maldives to kickstart trade negotiations
17-Mar-2026 Deccan Chronicle
The commerce ministry said that India inked terms of reference with countries such as Philippines and the Maldives to start negotiations for free trade agreements.
Guinea faces second arbitration in six months over revoked mining permits
17-Mar-2026 Ecofin
Falcon Energy Materials, a UAE-based company, said it had initiated international arbitration proceedings against Guinea, alleging the “illegal expropriation” of its Lola graphite project.
‘A lot of life years lost’: How NAFTA shortened American life spans
16-Mar-2026 The New York Times
A study tracks how the North American Free Trade Agreement and trade competition with Mexico led to earlier deaths for American factory workers.
Tricky negotiations begin Monday to renew a trade pact between the United States, Mexico and Canada
16-Mar-2026 AP
The North American economies could agree to renew USMCA as it is for another 16 years— a prospect that appears unlikely. Or they could keep working on ways to improve it; under a convoluted renewal process, they have until 2036 to reach an agreement — or the pact expires.
India to hold off on US trade deal amid new probe, sources say
16-Mar-2026 Reuters
India will hold off on signing a trade deal with the United ​States for several months, four Indian sources said, as fresh investigations by President Donald Trump’s administration into what it calls excess industrial capacity ‌among trading partners add new friction.
S. Korea wins int’l arbitration case against elevator maker Schindler
16-Mar-2026 Yonhap
South Korea has won an international arbitration case brought by Swiss elevator manufacturer Schindler Holding AG, avoiding a potential payout of 320 billion won ($211.4 million) in damages, the justice ministry said.
US, Ecuador sign trade deal cutting tariff rates
16-Mar-2026 News of Bahrain
The United States and Ecuador have agreed to reduce tariff rates between the two nations, officials said, as countries seek to navigate US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff campaign.
US-Ecuador trade agreement text (Mar 2026)
16-Mar-2026 USTR
Report of the 5th round of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Philippines
13-Mar-2026 European Commission
The 5th round of negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EU and the Philippines took place between 2 and 6 March 2026 in Brussels.
EU Commission moves to apply Mercosur trade deal from May
13-Mar-2026 Politico
Brussels now needs to formally notify the South American group of its intention to provisionally implement the accord.
Empowerment or exploitation? The false promise of a women-inclusive trade deal
13-Mar-2026 bilaterals.org
The Canada-Indonesia trade deal’s “women-inclusive” label masks a neoliberal agenda that benefits Canadian corporations more than Indonesian women. It exploits feminist language to legitimize market expansion, while reinforcing structural inequalities—especially the burden of unpaid care work on women—and enabling corporate power through costly investor rights (ISDS). True gender justice requires systemic change, not just market inclusion.
Deals made under repealed tariffs should be reconsidered
12-Mar-2026 Public Citizen
The US Supreme Court’s decision invalidating the tariffs is yet another reason for countries like Indonesia to be wary of ratifying these deals negotiated with the Trump administration.
Zimbabwe’s seed sovereignty is under threat – and with it, the legacy of land reform
12-Mar-2026 Peoples Dispatch
Developing nations are compelled to adopt legal frameworks favoring multinational seed companies, often through trade agreements and regional protocols that serve imperialist interests and control over the economies of the Global South.