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Skirmishes over an unpublished US-RP Free Trade Agreement
8-Jan-2007 Panama News
Just before Christmas trade negotiators for the United States and Panama announced that a deal had been reached on a US-Panama Free Trade Agreement. However, at the time this issue of The Panama News was uploaded the text of the agreement was still being withheld from the public in both countries and the Panamanian government was disputing one of the key claims about the deal that was made on the US Trade Representative’s website.
Indo-Arabic economic bloc mooted
8-Jan-2007 Economic Times
The UAE has proposed an Indo-Arabic economic bloc with a view to ensure prosperity and growth over the long term for the two sides.
EU and Syria start over
6-Jan-2007 Café Babel
Syria is the only Mediterranean country which has not signed an agreement with the EU. Can a timely carrot-and-stick strategy re-engage both?
US-UAE free trade deal in limbo
6-Jan-2007 Gulf News
The Bush administration needs to wrap up a deal with the UAE by late March to get it through Congress before its "trade promotion authority" expires at the end of June.
US sees ’solid basis’ for Malaysia trade talks
6-Jan-2007 Daily Times
Malaysia’s initial offer to open its market to more US farm and manufactured goods sets the stage for progress next week on a proposed free trade pact, a US trade official said on Friday.
Argentina, Mexico in deal to boost trade by 350 million dollars
6-Jan-2007 MercoPress
A new accord between Argentina and Mexico has come in force as from January 1st whereby they increased to about 1,500 the number of bilateral trade products with a sliding scale that will lead to zero tariff in ten years time, Argentina`s Foreign Affairs ministry said.
Merkel promotes TAFTA with Bush
6-Jan-2007 Market Day
A U.S.-European economic partnership is critical to both regions’ economies, new European Union President Angela Merkel of Germany says.
Some hope for US-UAE trade deal
6-Jan-2007 Trade Arabia
A free trade deal between the US and the UAE is still possible, even though talks fell off track last year, a US business leader said.
EPA with Europe in doubt
6-Jan-2007 Islands Business
Intransigence of positions and unfolding of more "red lines" by bureaucrats at the European Commission (EC) could jeopardise the region’s hopes of securing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, outgoing chief negotiator of the Pacific, Kaliopate Tavola has warned.
India keen on economic partnership pact with Japan: PM
6-Jan-2007 India PRwire
Ahead of his visit to Tokyo next week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed the hope that India and Japan will launch negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement soon.
Arab Gulf delegation to visit Brazil to ink agreement with Mercosur
6-Jan-2007 ANBA
The basic texts for the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to Brazilian diplomats, are going to be ratified during the summit of the South American bloc, to take place on January 18th and 19th in Rio de Janeiro.
Labor rights not optional
6-Jan-2007 TomPaine.com
Some 230 years ago, King George III taught the American colonists an important lesson: Because taxation without representation is tyranny, the public must have a voice in the making of trade policy. The new Congress should keep that lesson in mind as it attempts to devise trade strategies to promote labor rights (and other human rights) overseas.
FTA consensus unlikely during Asean summit
6-Jan-2007 Business Standard
The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the Asean countries is unlikely to materialise during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the Philippines for the Asean summit beginning January 10.
CRS Report for Congress: The US-Panama free trade agreement
5-Jan-2007
For the United States, Panama has long held a strategic military and commercial importance, even as a small trading partner, and an FTA with Panama fits with broader US trade policy.
EPA road-show rolls on
4-Jan-2007 AllAfrica.com
Negotiations between African countries and the European Union aimed at finalizing free trade deals known as Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are continuing apace. As part of the process that will finalise EPA deals sometime in 2007, Eastern and Southern Africa countries have just submitted a draft EPA document to the EU. But, in this article, Richard Kamidza documents the astonishing lack of consultation in the negotiating process, claiming that in some cases even cabinet ministers don’t know the details.
Parliament demands gov’t suspend subsidy to civic groups opposing FTA with US
4-Jan-2007 Yonhap
The South Korean parliament has requested the government suspend state subsidies to civic organizations involved in illegal rallies ahead of a new round of free trade talks with the United States this month.
MIER: US adopts pragmatic approach in FTA talks with M’sia
4-Jan-2007 BERNAMA
The United States is adopting a pragmatic approach in its free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Malaysia, according to a think thank.
India, China to discuss FTA again
3-Jan-2007 Times of India
India and China are going to give a fresh try to a bilateral trade agreement later this week, with officials from the two sides meeting in New Delhi, armed with a second opinion.
S Korea, India to push for trade pact
3-Jan-2007 Times of India
Officials from the two sides are expected to exchange the first set of lists this week giving out the sectors which would not be opened up and those where zero-duty imports would be allowed and visas and investment would be allowed without restrictions.
$1 million needed to offset FTA damages: ministry
2-Jan-2007 Hankyoreh
Korea’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy requested a budget of 1 billion won (US$1 million) to the National Assembly on January 1, saying that it needed extra funds to offset the harsher effects of FTAs, estimating 13,000 firms and 100,000 workers would be affected.