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ALBA: Social debt and human rights - proposals for the new social, economic and cultural order
22-May-2006 Dissident Voice
President Chavez has proposed a new project for Latin America integration, ALBA, which challenges the imperial project ALCA, designed to consolidate neocolonial empire.
Guatemala: Fears and hopes raised by free trade with US
22-May-2006 IPS
With just a few days to go before the removal of trade barriers between Guatemala and the United States, social organisations are afraid that living standards in Guatemala will decline, while the government and the business community predict an influx of investment, economic growth, and the creation of thousands of new jobs.
US upbeat about trade talks with South Korea, Malaysia
22-May-2006 Channel News Asia
The United States is "very optimistic" about clinching free trade agreements (FTAs) with major trading partners South Korea and Malaysia, a senior US official said.
Free trade match kick-off
22-May-2006 The Australian
Winning the soccer World Cup in Germany next month would be a cinch compared with winning special access to Chinese markets for Australian farmers, investors and service providers.
Indo-Asean FTA set for Jan takeoff
22-May-2006 Economic Times
Here is the final word on the Indo-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) - bigger than any other trade pact that India has entered into so far.
India loses out in Thai FTA
22-May-2006 Financial Express
As the country debates the merits and de-merits of free trade agreements (FTAs), an analysis of trade data shows India has been at the receiving end in both the Thai and the Sri Lanka FTAs.
Proposed FTA with Thailand in choppy waters
22-May-2006 Financial Express
The proposed India-Thailand free trade agreement (FTA), which was to follow the early harvest programme (EHP) implemented in September 2004, seems to be in trouble. The Thai side is refusing to budge from its new demand of making the rules of origin (ROO) norms for the agreement less stringent than the norms being followed under the EHP.
Venezuela says it will pull out of G-3
22-May-2006 AP
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday Venezuela will pull out of a trade bloc with Colombia and Mexico, its latest move to abandon trade deals with countries that have free-trade pacts with the United States.
GCC-New Zealand free trade deal likely next year
22-May-2006 Gulf News
The GCC states and New Zealand are expected to sign a free trade agreement next year.
Chinese proposal for FTA items’ classification rejected
20-May-2006 Business Recorder
Pakistan has rejected a Chinese demand that 90 percent items covered under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) should be put on positive list and remaining 10 percent in negative mode.
Gov’t urges anti-FTA protestors to stay home
20-May-2006 Chosun Ilbo
The South Korean government on Friday urged a group of some 100 Koreans to refrain from staging a protest in Washington against the first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with the US, to be held there on June 5-9.
Signature of an investment protection agreement and a Declaration on Cooperation with Colombia
19-May-2006 Federal Administration
Switzerland and Colombia signed two agreements in Bern on 17 May 2006. The first was an agreement on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments between Switzerland and Colombia. The second was a Declaration on Cooperation between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Colombia.
China, Pakistan agree on basic terms of free trade pact
18-May-2006 Xinhua
China and Pakistan have agreed on the basic terms of their bilateral free trade pact, officials close to the free trade arrangement (FTA) talks told Xinhua.
EU, South Korea eye preliminary FTA talks
18-May-2006 Forbes
South Korea and the European Union have agreed to hold preliminary talks that could lead to the establishment of a free trade agreement (FTA).
Free trade talks between GCC and Turkey to begin this year
18-May-2006 Khaleej Times
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks between the GCC and Turkey will start this year, according to a senior Turkish government official.
US oil firm files arbitration claim against Ecuador for ’expropriation’
18-May-2006 ANTARA
The US-based Occidental Petroleum Company has filed an arbitration claim against Quito for canceling its exploration rights, a move that resulted in a suspension of free trade talks with Washington.
Occidental files BIT claim against Ecuador at ICSID
18-May-2006
US-based Occidental Petroleum has responded swiftly to a move by the Ecuadorian Government to kick the company out of Ecuador. The firm filed a request for arbitration with the Washington-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) yesterday. The company’s claim is expected to be for at least $1 Billion (US) in damages.
US FTA tricks Colombia farmers
18-May-2006 Prensa Latina
When a Colombian top-level delegation travelled to Washington last week to supposedly resolve the contradictions between the Spanish and English versions of the FTA, they instead agreed to import aged US hens to Colombia. US poultry farmers regard those hens as waste, since they are sterile.
New US-Asean trade framework ready soon
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.
Ecuador minister says US political interference unacceptable
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.