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Rivalry delays selection of host for Asia FTA research body
10-Mar-2007 Kyodo
The selection of a country to host a body to conduct research on trade liberalization around the Asia-Pacific region has been put on hold due to the rivalry among countries wishing to be home to its headquarters.
Swiss government approves mandate for FTA talks with Japan
10-Mar-2007 People’s Daily
The Swiss government on Friday approved a mandate for negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership and free trade agreement (FTA) between Switzerland with Japan.
Indo-Japan economic pact to see the light of day within year
10-Mar-2007 Financial Express
India and Japan will ink the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the next one year, minister of state for industry Ashwani Kumar said on Friday.
Beef heading overseas
10-Mar-2007 KGWN
South Korea announced Thursday that it will lower its quarantine standards for US beef imports and resume imports of American beef that do not contain bone fragments.
US says FTA with UAE off for now
10-Mar-2007 Gulf Daily News
US trade officials said yesterday they would not finish free trade talks with the UAE by a deadline at the end of this month. Investment is one issue that negotiators have failed to find agreement on.
S Korean Catholics ask God to stop FTA
9-Mar-2007
South Korean Catholics on Friday asked God to stop a proposed free trade agreement between their country and the United States, as Washington’s chief negotiator said the two sides were intensifying efforts to strike a deal their legislatures can approve.
Uruguay threatens to downgrade Mercosur role
9-Mar-2007 Euro2day
Uruguay has warned that it will consider downgrading its status in Mercosur if the regional trade bloc prevents it from making a bilateral trade deal with the US.
Japan, Australia free trade talks to begin in April
9-Mar-2007 Bloomberg
Japan and Australia will begin two days of talks on a possible free trade agreement April 23 in Canberra, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said.
Mercosur keen to sign free trade agreement with Pakistan
9-Mar-2007 Asia Pulse
Mercosur, a regional group of four Latin American countries (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil), has expressed its willingness to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Pakistan.
Costa Rica: Why we reject CAFTA
9-Mar-2007 Americas Program, International Relations Center (IRC)
On Feb. 26, tens of thousands of Costa Ricans took to the streets in a demonstration to block ratification of the free trade agreement and reject approval to implement legislation demanded by the United States. Costa Rica is the only country included in the Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Central America, and the Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) that has not yet ratified the agreement. A broad grassroots movement in the country is trying to make sure it stays that way.
Disagreement puts India-GCC FTA on backburner
9-Mar-2007 Financial Express
Plans to put an India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in place have suffered a setback despite two rounds of talks earlier this year. According to officials, due to the absence of customs union and disagreement among the GCC countries, talks of an FTA with India are now stuck.
US pears and apples first beneficiaries of the FTA US-Dominican Republic
9-Mar-2007 Fresh Plaza
The US export of 25 MT of pears and apples to the Dominican Republic was the first transaction following the application of the free trade agreement between both countries.
FTA with South Korea within reach: chief US negotiator
8-Mar-2007
With an end-of-March deadline looming large, the chief US free trade agreement negotiator with South Korea emphatically declared Thursday that a "high-quality" deal is within reach.
Malaysia still fine-tuning issues related to FTA with US
8-Mar-2007
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says Malaysia is still fine tuning issues arising from negotiations to clinch a free trade agreement with the United States with the ultimate objective of bringing benefits to the people and the country.
Hundreds of people voice opposition to FTA talks
8-Mar-2007
A group of about 870 people, including 23 lawmakers, voiced their opposition Thursday to the free trade talks between South Korea and the United States underway here, said organizers, witnesses and police.
One year of CAFTA in El Salvador
8-Mar-2007 Upside Down World
March 1 marked the first anniversary of the implementation of the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) in El Salvador. While Presidents Bush and Saca met in Washington DC and made statements about how beneficial CAFTA had been for "everyone," back in El Salvador the social movement, youth groups, economists, and the FMLN party all disputed those claims.
EU in dialogue of the deaf with poor countries
8-Mar-2007 IPS
The European Commission and a grouping of countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are no nearer an agreement on trade liberalisation after their latest effort.
Uganda: Don’t sign deal with EU, MPs tell government
8-Mar-2007 New Vision
MPS and international trade specialists have asked the Ugandan government not to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union because it would harm the economy.
FTAs ’threaten Gulf economic security’
7-Mar-2007
The economic security of the Gulf could be threatened by signing free trade agreements (FTAs), some experts said yesterday.
Illegal logging not an issue in FTA talks with US: Anifah
7-Mar-2007
Illegal logging is not an issue in the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Malaysia and the US, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Anifah Aman said.