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Free trade deal boosts NZ exports to Thailand
13-Apr-2007 Radio New Zealand
New Zealand exports to Thailand have risen strongly since the two countries signed a free trade deal in 2005.
Korean culture industry feels the FTA
13-Apr-2007 AsiaMedia
The nation’s culture industry is gearing up for the repercussions of the free trade agreement (FTA) signed with the United States, and each sector is preparing damage control for possible side effects from the pact.
Caricom wants ’special provisions’ for sugar, bananas
12-Apr-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
The EU concession announced last week to remove all remaining quota and tariff restrictions on ACP products includes a phase-out period for rice and sugar, but does not mention bananas.
Italy to tap Korean food markets
12-Apr-2007 Seoul Times
The recent free trade agreement between Korea and the US could help uncork one of the hottest markets in an expanding Asian frontier: quality foodstuffs and wine.
Barbados expanding investment treaties
12-Apr-2007 The Nation
Barbados is moving to expand its list of investment treaties with European and developing countries in Africa, the Western Hemisphere and the Indian Ocean.
Gov’t warns teachers union off anti-FTA classes
12-Apr-2007 Chosun Ilbo
The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has asked provincial education offices to prevent the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union from teaching classes against the recently concluded Korea-US free trade agreement. The teachers’ union has been conducting anti-FTA classes since March 26 and posted anti-FTA class materials on its homepage.
Negotiator says US may have to reopen FTA discussion on labor, other provisions
12-Apr-2007 Yonhap
The United States may have to renegotiate labor and possibly other provisions in its free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea, a senior official said Wednesday. A South Korean official had said Tuesday that Seoul considers the labor chapter of the agreement closed.
Trade pact with Thailand by July
12-Apr-2007 Hindustan Times
India and Thailand hope to conclude their proposed free trade area (FTA) by this July with trade negotiators of the two countries hoping to smooth out contentious issues before then.
Africa must be careful in its trade pacts with Europeans
11-Apr-2007
The European Union celebrated its 50th birthday on March 25, since the signing of the founding Rome treaty, a pact originally comprising six Western European nations. France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg sealed an economic co-operation that was meant to avoid future wars.
Calls for removal of regional trade barriers
11-Apr-2007
Civil society organisations and the business community in southern Africa have called for review of trade policies in order to deepen regional integration.
FTAA unlikely to become reality soon, Mexico says
11-Apr-2007
Mexican Economy Secretary Eduardo Sojo said the U.S.-led Free Trade Area of the Americas scheme is likely to remain stalled in the foreseeable future as negotiations between the United States and the leftist-dominated South America on the issue have been deadlocked for the past few years.
Dominican industries say Government’s anti-dumping foot-dragging shameful
11-Apr-2007
Dominican Industries Association (AIRD) president Manuel Díez said yesterday that the fact that the authorities have yet to create the mechanisms to apply Law 01-02 on Unfair Business Practices is shameful, despite that it was approved more than five years ago.
India-Thailand FTA likely by June-end: Nath
11-Apr-2007
The free trade agreement between India and Thailand is likely to be signed by June-end. Both the countries had signed a framework agreement for establishing a free trade area in 2003 as a consequence of which tariffs were brought down in 82 items of common export interest from September 2004.
Chinese leader proposes free trade deal with SKorea
11-Apr-2007 AFP
South Korea has been reluctant to rush into an FTA with China amid fears that cheap food could flood the domestic market. But South Korean officials said they would now consider starting free trade talks with China, after Seoul and Washington sealed a trade agreement last week.
With FTA ink still drying, cow farmers feel change already
11-Apr-2007 Hankyoreh
With US beef import tariffs to be relaxed, Korean beef farmers watch prices drop
Canada: Free trade with the US has failed to close the income gap or create quality jobs
11-Apr-2007 The Canadian
The notion that NAFTA has been good for average Canadians, Americans and Mexicans is a lie. The truth is that NAFTA has been responsible for growing poverty, the creation of a new underclass called the “working poor,” and the concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people.
India, S Korea agree on 80% tariff lines
10-Apr-2007 IRIS
India and South Korea have concluded the sixth round of negotiations on their proposed free trade agreement. Meanwhile, the second round of talks between India and Japan on their proposed comprehensive economic partnership agreement started in Tokyo today.
Sunkist Growers pleased with success of US-Korea FTA negotiations
10-Apr-2007 FreshPlaza
Sunkist has long urged the United States government to undertake an FTA with Korea to reduce its tariffs on US citrus. Mike Wootton, Sunkist senior vice president of corporate relations, was in Seoul, in constant consultations with US negotiators, during the final two-week session as citrus issues were tabled.
Re-think needed on free trade pact
10-Apr-2007 Sun2Surf
It is difficult to identify what benefits the proposed US FTA holds for Malaysia. Supporters of the deal have trotted out the usual platitudes. However, large numbers of people remain unconvinced of these arguments.
Developing a strategy for an FTA with the US
10-Apr-2007
Taiwan’s Council for Economic Planning and Development estimates show that the FTA between the US and South Korea will have a US$2 billion impact on Taiwan, or approximately 5 percent of its total exports, a spokesman said on Tuesday.