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13-Jan-2006
Like the stalled privatisation of Egat Plc, the Thai-US Free-Trade Agreement talks look like dead meat. It all boils down to the waning credibility of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
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13-Jan-2006
After the sixth round of free-trade negotiations with the United States drew to a close yesterday, the Bank of Thailand said that Bangkok would continue to push for a gradual opening of its financial sector rather than within three years as the US has proposed.
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13-Jan-2006
Waiting, waiting. It will take time to realise the benefits of our free trade deals with Thailand and the US.
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13-Jan-2006
Panama’s government, ignoring the country’s heated atmosphere, strives Friday to show the validity of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US while a common front snubbing the eventual pact grows.
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13-Jan-2006
The head of the US trade negotiating team yesterday expressed concern that Bangkok and Washington may not be able to wrap up free-trade agreement discussions by the agreed deadline. Speaking after concluding the sixth round of Thai-US FTA negotiations, Barbara Weisel, assistant US Trade Representative, said: “There’s some serious concern whether we can do that [finish the talks by May].”
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13-Jan-2006
Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the Manger Group, alleged that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra signed free trade agreement contracts with Australia and China with ulterior motive to benefit telecom businesses of his family.
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13-Jan-2006
Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said on Friday Japan and Thailand would likely sign a free trade agree (FTA) agreement in early April when Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is scheduled to make an official visit to Tokyo.
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13-Jan-2006
A senior US trade official on Friday expressed concern about the slow progress being made in negotiations to establish a free trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand, where more than 10,000 demonstrators gathered this week to protest the pact.
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13-Jan-2006
The network of 11 civil society organisations which showed its opposition to the Thai-US Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations earlier this week in Chiang Mai Friday reaffirmed its intention to continue protesting the talks.
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12-Jan-2006
The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for signing the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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12-Jan-2006
Australian wheat exports could face further challenge with the Bush administration eyeing possible free trade deals with Egypt, South Korea and Malaysia, and working on one with Thailand.
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12-Jan-2006
United States Under-Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Patrick Duddy affirmed last night while visiting the Congress that the Free Trade Agreement will be greatly beneficial to the Dominican Republic and other co-signing countries.
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12-Jan-2006
Visiting US Sen. Melquiades "Mel" Martinez, R-Fla., said during an Argentine radio interview Thursday that a free trade agreement between the US and Argentine neighbor Uruguay is virtually sewn up.
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12-Jan-2006
Intellectual property rights protection became the latest stumbling block in the current round of negotiations for a Thai-US Free Trade Agreement today, with Thailand complaining publicly about the Americans’ stand.
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12-Jan-2006
A cabinet minister said today that an actual free-trade agreement with the United States is still al long way off, and talks have not so far yielded any definite agreement. Tariff cut plans are still subject to further consultation.
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12-Jan-2006
If a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States is so great for us consumers, why is the telecom industry, which is controlled by our premier’s family, excluded from the deal? If Thailand had to join hands with other developing countries to fight for our people’s access to affordable life-saving medicines until the World Trade Organisation finally allowed it under the Doha Declaration, why is it that Mr Thaksin is so eager to ink a trade deal with the US that would tie our hands from doing so?
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12-Jan-2006
Returning through Christchurch as part of a Congressional delegation visiting American operations in Antarctica, US Senator John McCain, a Republican representing Arizona and a leading conservative centrist, had positive things to say about the possibility of a free trade agreement between the US and New Zealand.
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12-Jan-2006
A group of United States senators has vowed to fight for a free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand after a high-level meeting in Christchurch.
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12-Jan-2006
Xinhua
China is willing to negotiate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with African countries and African regional organizations when conditions are ripe, according to China’s African Policy Paper issued Thursday in Beijing. The paper, the first of its kind, said the Chinese government encourages and supports Chinese enterprises’ investment and business in Africa.
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12-Jan-2006
Asia Times
EGAT’s privatization and the US trade talks represent the most ambitious efforts of two of Thaksin’s core economic platforms: the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the proliferation of bilateral FTAs. So it is no surprise that both issues crystallize the wider debate on the state of democracy and the country’s development path.
