bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

All articles


Rally against partnership agreement
Members of the islands public sector union and other Barbadians will be showing their dissent towards the most recent process of negotiations between Barbados and Cariforum countries this week.
Indigenous-led uprising challenges FTA, US domination
Ecuadorian Indigenous organizations are in the leadership of the most recent uprising in that country, which began on March 13. Tired of being lied to, exploited and excluded, they have taken on the courageous road of challenging the Free Trade Agreement that is secretly, behind closed doors, being negotiated with the United States by President Alfredo Palacios.
Malaysian activists launch campaign against free trade deal with US
Malaysian activists over the weekend launched a campaign against a planned bilateral free trade deal with the US, saying it could undermine job and food security and the nation’s economy.
The US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA): The intellectual property provisions
Report of the US government’s Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (ITAC-15)
US FTA set to impact entertainment industry
Korean culture and entertainment industries will suffer considerable damage from a Korea-US free trade agreement (FTA), a local think tank warned Friday.
Peru torn over FTA with US
Peruvians are divided Friday on the possible ratification of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with United States, because businesspeople insist on implementing it, but agricultural farmers reject it.
Free trade pacts are bad for business
The WTO on March 22 issued a report criticizing the US pursuit of free trade agreements. The report claims that US free trade agreements create political interests in other countries, which complicate the multilateral process.
RI seeks closer trade ties with US
After four years of stagnant trade relations, the government plans to start intensifying talks with the United States and support a joint-study group on a possible free trade agreement (FTA) with the country, a minister says.
India-Asean FTA hits a roadblock
The India-Asean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has hit a roadblock with Agriculture Ministry objecting to inclusion of farm products like pepper, rubber, palm oil, coffee and tea in the tariff liberalisation programme.
Indigenous movement proposes to assume its own power
Given the rejection by Ecuadorian president Alfredo Palacio of the demands made by the popular sector, the indigenous movement is today to assume power itself and convene a popular consultation on the Free Trade Agreement.
’Fisheries could lose W80 billion under US FTA’
Once tariffs are removed under a putative free-trade agreement with the US, Korea’s domestic fishing industry could lose between W51.1 billion (US$51 million) and W84.9 billion (US$87 million).
Kamal Nath for separate FTA with Bangladesh
India is for a South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) "plus’’ a separate free trade arrangement with Bangladesh that would address the existing trade imbalance between the two countries, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said on Wednesday.
FTA Watch statement: In support of Korean people’s struggle against the Korea-US FTA
Although Thailand and South Korea are different in terms of development, people in both countries share a common demand for the protection of their right to affordable medicines and treatment.
US will seek fast renewal of trade authority: Portman
The top US trade official said on Wednesday he would push for quick renewal of trade promotion authority, which allows the White House to negotiate agreements that Congress must approve or reject but cannot change.
Some European countries call for endorsing Association Agreement with Syria
A source of the Higher Committee Specialized in Following up Issues of Partnership Association between Syria and EU has said that the EU has started to issue positive signals regarding agreement with Syria, particularly that some EU countries consider that there is no excuse for delaying signing the agreement after two years of initialing it.
Ecuador: Protests against free trade reach critical juncture
The Ecuadorian government declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, March 21 after countrywide protests and roadblocks led by indigenous peasants intensified.
Malaysia’s Mahathir fears planned FTA with U.S. could have ’adverse’ consequences
Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday warned that a free trade agreement with the United States could harm Malaysia, claiming that a similar pact signed with Japan recently has brought no benefits.
Ecuador: rioting against free trade agreement with US escalates
Ecuador’s main Indian federation claimed Monday that 30 peasants had been hospitalized and over 100 arrested during violent protests against a free trade pact with the United States scheduled to be signed in the coming days.
How to beat US trade barriers
The transshipment issue — the illicit movement of shoes, shrimp and garments that have been repackaged, re-labeled and re-exported after being shipped to Indonesia — has cast a shadow over recently warmed US-Indonesian bilateral relations and threaten to damage the Southeast Asian country’s chances of a full free-trade agreement (FTA) with the US.
EU eyeing free trade deals in Asia: Mandelson
The European Union is exploring the prospect of free trade deals with Asian nations once the current round of world trade talks is over, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said on Tuesday.