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US FTA expected in 3 years
Despite ups and downs in the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United States, the two countries are likely to reach a final agreement in two to three years, according to a report by the Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI) Wednesday.
Free trade pact: Follow Chile’s lead
"I felt like I was negotiating with US interest groups, not with the US government," says Alicia Frohmann, one of Chile’s chief negotiators on the US-Chile FTA, to Korean negotiators.
CRS Report for Congress: The proposed South Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUSFTA)
The launching of the negotiations comes with a high degree of political risk for both South Korea and the United States. It comes as the US-South Korean alliance, while remaining very strong, has showed signs of fraying.
Bush sends 6, 000 soldiers to the Mexican border. Where will Europe send its soldiers when the EPAs are signed?
You may be asking yourself: " what is an EPA? " Well, you are not alone. In fact I have just met with a European Member of Parliament who is no more au courant than you. And that’s worrying!
South American Ministers vow to avoid TRIPS-plus measures
The Ministers of Health of ten South American countries issued a joint declaration on intellectual property committing themselves to avoid "TRIPS plus" provisions in bilateral and regional trade agreements, to facilitate the use of compulsory licensing and parallel importing and to avoid broadening the scope of patentability and the extension of patentable areas.
Australia given signal of services fight
Beijing has told Canberra that opening access to China’s services industry will be the most difficult aspect in bilateral free-trade negotiations, according to an Australian official.
Explain benefits of FTA first, govt urged
Kedah farmers have asked the government to explain the benefits that they could gain from the USA-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) before it proceeds with discussions scheduled to be held on June 12 in Penang.
Taiwan president urges US to consider free trade pact
President Chen Shui-bian urged the US government Friday to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan, saying that an FTA would allow US agriculture and automobile exports to Taiwan to grow by 100 per cent.
S Korean activists promise peaceful protests against US FTA
South Korean activists have pledged to hold peaceful protests against a proposed South Korea-US free trade agreement (FTA) in Washington early next month. "We want to explain to American citizens why we oppose the FTA with the US."
Fiji seeks bilateral deals with Asian countries
Fiji is set to negotiate new bilateral economic partnership agreements with India, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Bilateral, regional trade agreements on APEC agenda
The ongoing APEC senior official meeting (SOM II) will discuss Sunday existing and new policies for regional trading agreements and free trade agreements (RTA/FTA), reports from the APEC secretariat said.
China urges Korea to conclude free trade agreement
Beijing wants an FTA with Korea to alleviate its chronic trade deficit with its neighbor. Seoul is more reserved on the issue, since it could cause a surge in cheap agricultural produce and light industry goods.
FTA ’followed in letter and spirit’
The US government has confirmed that Bahrain is no longer part of an Arab boycott of Israeli products in line with its commitment to the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Officials head to South America to initiate FTA talks
The first round of Taiwan’s free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with El Salvador and Honduras is expected to take place from Monday to Wednesday in Central America, officials with the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Thursday.
Tensions stall Japan/South Korea FTA
Negotiations for a free trade pact between South Korea and Japan have been deadlocked for more than a year partly due to differences over how the two sides view their history, South Korea’s commerce minister said on Friday.
Australia at your service, but China still cagey
After a year of skirmishing, Australia’s free trade discussions with China are taking shape, with China agreeing in principle to include the sensitive areas of government procurement and investment in any agreement.
Hyosung head calls for corporate-led FTA
Business leaders in South Korea and Japan need to play an active role in achieving a free trade agreement between the two countries, a Korean conglomerate owner said Thursday.
Rice remains biggest hurdle to trade pact in Korea talks
Thailand has reaffirmed that it did not sign the Asean-South Korean free trade agreement on goods because of rice. South Korea insisted on excluding rice under its sensitive list, but Thailand, the world’s largest rice exporter, demanded that it open up its local market.
US ’better free trade partner than Japan, China’
The US is a much better free-trade partner for Korea than China or Japan, where issues of race and historical animosities would make an agreement difficult, Korea’s chief negotiator in free-trade talks with the US said Thursday.
Ecuador: Government gears up for Oxy fallout
Showing the door to Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) and scuttling US free trade negotiations have long been agenda priorities for Ecuadorian social movements and political sectors. But following government steps that have all but made these goals a reality, the atmosphere seems more anxious than celebratory.