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18-May-2006
Manila Times
The United States Trade Representative Office (USTR) said a trade and investment framework agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) would be concluded soon.
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18-May-2006
MarketWatch
Finance Minister Diego Borja said that the US decision to break off free trade talks with Ecuador after the government canceled Occidental Petroleum Corp’s (OXY) contracts was unacceptable political interference.
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18-May-2006
AllAfrica.com
Below is an x-ray and analysis of how the EU-ACP EPA is capable of throwing to oblivion the development dimensions and objectives of Nigeria’s National Economic and Development Strategy.
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18-May-2006
Manila Bulletin
The Philippines and Japan are moving towards adopting arbitration procedures in settling disputes to avoid lengthy and expensive court battles in protecting investments from both sides as they finalize their proposed bilateral free trade pact.
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18-May-2006
Chosun Ilbo
A free trade agreement between Korea and the US is expected to bring substantial challenges as well as opportunities for the Korean economy. The manufacturing industry led by textiles, cars and electronics will see exports increase, but agricultural, fisheries and the service industry will at the very least have undertake structural reforms to survive.
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18-May-2006
Asia Pulse
A free trade pact with the United States would deal a hard blow to South Korea’s agricultural sector and cause estimated losses of up to 8.8 trillion won (US$9.39 billion), a Korea University report showed Wednesday.
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18-May-2006
FIDH
The International Federation for Human Rights has published the report of a fact-finding mission on the effects on human rights of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The mission, conducted in Mexico between 22 and 31 of August 2005, looked specifically at the effects of NAFTA, ten years after its entering into force, on employment and working conditions in the Northern part of the country, in particular in the maquilas and in the informal economy.
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17-May-2006
The Guardian
Farmers and members of indigenous tribes clashed on Tuesday with police during protests against a free-trade agreement with the US and the re-election of President Alvaro Uribe, and protest leaders said an Indian farmer was killed.
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17-May-2006
FT
The European Union is likely to decide by the end of the year whether to launch talks on a comprehensive trade agreement with south-east Asia, its first in Asia. The EU move is seen as a response to a widening web of bilateral deals being negotiated in the region by the US, China, Japan and Korea that threaten to sideline European economic interests.
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17-May-2006
Bloomberg
President George W Bush’s strategy of using individual accords as stepping stones to a unified, global system of trade may be backfiring.
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17-May-2006
Bangkok Post
Thailand’s Permanent Secretary for Commerce Karun Kittisataporn said the Thai-Japanese FTA will be signed only after the new Thai government takes office. This almost certainly means next year, as the new general election is likely to be put off until later this year.
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17-May-2006
CNN
The Bush administration announced Tuesday it has broken off negotiations on a free trade agreement with Ecuador after that government’s decision to annul an operating contract with Occidental Petroleum Corp.
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17-May-2006
Financial Express
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s letter to the PM on the possible downside of the India-Asean FTA has sparked off a debate. How far should India accommodate Asean’s interests?
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17-May-2006
Globe and Mail
Ecuadorean President Alfredo Palacio sent troops to guard oil facilities seized from Occidental Petroleum Corp. as they are transferred to state control, officials said Tuesday.
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16-May-2006
ANDnetwork
President Kagame, who was officially opening the 21st Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Council of Ministers meeting at Hotel Intercontinental, said that while Africa is keenly negotiating for a fairer international trade system, it had done little to open up its markets with conducive investment climates and policies.
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16-May-2006
The Nation
South Korea signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday but founding member Thailand was left out due to internal disagreements and objections to Seoul’s barriers on farm products.
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16-May-2006
Financial Express
Vietnam’s trade deal with the United States — meant to facilitate Vietnam’s accession to the WTO — lowers Hanoi’s tariffs on US industrial and farm products and removes other barriers that block US companies in the telecommunications, retailing, banking, insurance and energy sectors.
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16-May-2006
Xinhua
Comoros and Libya have joined the Free Trade Area (FTA) of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the continent’s largest economic group.
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16-May-2006
Today
The European Union wants to strike a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but human rights issues in Myanmar could be a problem, EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has said.
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15-May-2006
Thailand will not be included in a free trade agreement to be signed between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)and South Korea this week, the Philippine trade secretary said Monday.
