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9-Jan-2006
THE United States-Australia free trade agreement has now been operating for a year. Australian exports to the US appear to be down and American exports to Australia appear to be up. The net result is another billion dollars of deficit in the current account between the two countries. Some people are saying that we have been sold a pup and others are saying that it is too early to tell.
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9-Jan-2006
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has tightened his grip over the Thai-US FTA talks by assigning his right-hand man, Uttama Savanayana, to play a key role in the negotiations with the US team in Chiang Mai, a source said yesterday.
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9-Jan-2006
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reiterated on Monday that the government is ready to reveal the result of negotiations to establish a free trade area (FTA) between Thailand and the United States - in due course.
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9-Jan-2006
Korea Times
The atmosphere is ripe for starting talks with the United States for a tariff-free trade scheme, which, if realized, may change this country’s overall industrial picture as never before. But an FTA with giant, advanced economies, like America’s, requires a very careful approach.
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9-Jan-2006
The Nation
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Monday shot down a proposal for Parliament to debate free trade agreements (FTAs), including a draft being negotiated between Thailand and the United States. "I see no justification for legislative debate on FTAs as Parliament does not have qualified personnel to scrutinise the matter," he said.
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9-Jan-2006
Bangkok Post
Thousands of Thais representing a diverse swath of society ranging from garlic growers to HIV/AIDS activists gathered outside a hotel in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai Monday to protest closed-door talks on a Thai-US free trade agreement (FTA).
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9-Jan-2006
The Nation
Rallies against free-trade talks between Thai and US officials today are set to draw a record number of protesters. Here are the reasons for this given by some planning to attend the protests.
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9-Jan-2006
Financial Express
A comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) between India and Malaysia may soon become a reality. The joint study group appointed by the two countries to examine the feasibility of such an agreement has given it the green signal.
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9-Jan-2006
The Telegraph
In what could be one of the first adverse fall-outs of free-trade agreements, domestic vanaspati producers have alleged that India is turning out to be a major market for imports from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, although these countries have no major cultivation of oilseeds.
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9-Jan-2006
As Washington pushes Seoul to begin talks for forging a free trade agreement, the Korean government says both countries have not yet agreed on when or even whether negotiations will begin.
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9-Jan-2006
Bangkok Post
The civic sector joined forces against the ongoing Thai-US free trade agreement (FTA) pact by drawing up a petition stating that it does not approve the mandate of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as being a representative of the Thai people in signing the deal.
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8-Jan-2006
St Louis Post Dispatch
President George W. Bush notified Congress on Friday of his plan to sign a trade agreement with Peru, a pact the administration views as a step in advancing commerce within the Western Hemisphere.
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8-Jan-2006
Sydney Morning Herald
Australia and Mexico will explore the viability of a free trade agreement between the two countries.
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8-Jan-2006
The Chilean Embassy in Seoul said that Chile will award the “Decoration of Bernardo O’Higgins” to five Koreans who contributed to the successful free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and Chile.
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8-Jan-2006
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday ignored a call by the Senate committee on foreign affairs to seek help from the Constitution Court to review free trade agreements (FTAs) on grounds that they have contravened the constitution.
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8-Jan-2006
The Free Trade Area agreement that Thailand is negotiating with the US has implications on Thailand’s sovereignty and if the government bypasses the Parliament in the processing of finalising the agreement, it could be impeached, a veteran lawyer warned.
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8-Jan-2006
THE Philippines and Japan are working double time to be able to firm up within this year their long-delayed economic pact aimed at easing trade restrictions between the two nations.
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8-Jan-2006
"When I started four years ago I had a full head of hair and no grey hair," New Zealand Ambassador David Taylor jokingly told the Korea Herald before leaving the harsh Korean winter for the green pastures of a Kiwi summer.
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8-Jan-2006
A leading academic says there is no reason why Thailand should offer terms of
intellectual property rights (IPR) protection beyond what’s available within the US legal framework.
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8-Jan-2006
Members of the opposition Democrat Party Sunday demanded the government to disclose the details of the proposed Thailand-US free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, charging that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had intentionally violated the constitution.
