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Japan on verge of signing FTA
Australia is preparing to move ahead with a free-trade agreement next year with its most important trading partner, Japan, on the 50th anniversary of the ground-breaking treaty of commerce between the two countries.
South Korea, Asean to cut ag tarrifs for FTA
Under the deal, South Korea designated 200 agricultural products that will be exempt from tariff reductions due to their effect on local farmers
The Difference between the FTAs and the Trade Treaty for the People – TCP
Pablo Solón, an expert on trade and integration, identifies at least four differences between the FTA and the TCP.
EPAs are a slap in the faces of poor countries, CSOs warn
The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), currently negotiated being between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACPs) and the European Union are set to further reduce incomes of farmers and agric-related employees by 50-60%, anti-EPAs campaigners have said.
US gains more than Dominicans with DR-CAFTA
A study by Pareto consulting group shows that DR-CAFTA will be more favorable to the US than to the Dominican Republic.
Korean, Malaysian auto barriers pose trade negotiation challenge
Opening up trade in autos poses a major challenge in free-trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with South Korea and Malaysia, experts in the United States say.
Aziz links free trade to Kashmir
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday that free trade with India was not possible without resolving political disputes.
An ugly side of free trade: Sweatshops in Jordan
Propelled by a free trade agreement with the United States, apparel manufacturing is booming in Jordan, its exports to America soaring twentyfold in the last five years. But some foreign workers in Jordanian factories that produce garments for Target, Wal-Mart and other American retailers are complaining of dismal conditions - of 20-hour days, of not being paid for months and of being hit by supervisors and jailed when they complain.
No benefit from free trade deals - PIDS
Policymakers should realize that free trade agreements (FTAs) are neither necessary nor sufficient for economic growth, Dr. Josef Yap, president of the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said in a study.
Doha Round faces collapse as talks are suspended
Most trade experts believe that if a tentative deal cannot be agreed in the next few months, there will not be time to complete the details and gain approval in the US. If this happens, it would be the first time that the world trade talks have stalled, and may lead to a world which is increasingly divided into protectionist trade blocs.
Bolivian president calls for creation of Anti-imperialist Community of Nations
Before an audience of more than 25,000 gathered at Havana’s Revolution Square, which coincided with the signing of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) agreement one year ago between Cuba and Venezuela, Bolivia officially joined the regional integration agreement through its Peoples Trade Agreement (TCP).
Analysis: Is time running out for a Thai-US free trade agreement?
US officials in charge of negotiating a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) in Bangkok may not admit they have given up. But the protracted political stalemate in Thailand has made it almost impossible to conclude talks this year before the expiration of the US fast-track authority, which is crucial for Washington’s endorsement of any trade agreement.
El Salvador keen on trade deal with Qatar
El Salvador, the world’s top coffee producer, is keen to sign a free trade agreement with Qatar.
EU commissioner: Venezuelan withdrawal from CAN complicates free trade agreement
The European Community (EU) has announced that Venezuela’s withdrawal from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) will have a negative effect on planned free trade agreements.
Kaesong goods to be included in ASEAN FTA
ASEAN’s free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea would recognize products made in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the inter-Korean project, as South Korean products. This is in stark contrast to the politically sensitive nature of Kaesong in concurrent negotiations for an FTA with the United States.
Cuba-Venezuela-Bolivia: The Trade Treaty for the People (TCP)
The Trade Treaty for the People " (TCP) that the presidents Fidel Castro (Cuba), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) and Evo Morales (Bolivia) signed at Havana is more about politics than trade.
Biodiverse nations urged to join forces
Thailand stands to lose even more valuable genetic resources if the country signs the Free Trade Area agreement with the United States in its present form. The FTA would allow the US easier access to Thailand’s genetic resources, said Tewolde Berhan, an Ethiopian expert on biodiversity.
Cuba, Bolivia, Venezuela reject US trade
Bolivia’s new left-leaning president signed a pact with Cuba and Venezuela on Saturday rejecting US-backed free trade and promising a socialist version of regional commerce and cooperation.
Qatar halts trade talks with US
Qatar has frozen bilateral free trade talks with the United States, saying Washington was imposing preconditions that were not in Doha’s interest.
Japan, Vietnam agree to start official FTA talks
Japan and Vietnam agreed on Friday to launch formal negotiations aimed at sealing a bilateral free trade agreement later this year.