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Pledge given on free trade
12-Jan-2006
A group of United States senators has vowed to fight for a free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand after a high-level meeting in Christchurch.
China willing to negotiate FTA with African countries, organizations
12-Jan-2006 Xinhua
China is willing to negotiate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with African countries and African regional organizations when conditions are ripe, according to China’s African Policy Paper issued Thursday in Beijing. The paper, the first of its kind, said the Chinese government encourages and supports Chinese enterprises’ investment and business in Africa.
Riding Thailand’s political bandwagon
12-Jan-2006 Asia Times
EGAT’s privatization and the US trade talks represent the most ambitious efforts of two of Thaksin’s core economic platforms: the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the proliferation of bilateral FTAs. So it is no surprise that both issues crystallize the wider debate on the state of democracy and the country’s development path.
Bush signs Bahrain trade pact, a first for Gulf
12-Jan-2006 Reuters
President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed a bill enacting a free-trade agreement with Bahrain, the first such pact with a Gulf country and only the third with an Arab state.
US says no quick free trade deal with Sri Lanka
12-Jan-2006 AFP
The United States warned Sri lanka against banking on a quick free trade deal to fix its economic woes and urged the island to restore peace and open its markets.
Australia-Thailand free trade deal to be challenged in court
12-Jan-2006 Asia Pulse
Australia’s booming trade relations with Thailand are in doubt as a constitutional court challenge against the countries’ free trade pact looms in Bangkok.
Anti-trade feelings delay CAFTA
12-Jan-2006 Miami Herald
The Central American Free Trade agreement faces skepticism and negative sentiment in countries working to implement the pact.
Thai-US FTA talks: Stumbling block
11-Jan-2006 The Nation
The Thai-US free-trade talks hit a snag yesterday after the head Thai negotiator for intellectual-property rights declared demands by the US for Thailand to tighten up drug patenting as “unacceptable”.
FTA to diversify Morocco’s foreign partnerships and markets
11-Jan-2006
"The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States opens the Moroccan economy towards a new world. It is an opportunity for us to diversify our partnerships, our markets and strengthen our means of competition in an increasingly global economy," said Mohamed Benayad, secretary general of the National Council for Foreign Trade (CNCE).
Panama heats up over FTA
11-Jan-2006
The resignation Wednesday of a key minister at Panama-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks added more fuel to the national atmosphere, which looks like it’s heading for a revival of the union movement.
Senator McCain backs US-NZ free trade deal
11-Jan-2006
A senior United States Senator, John McCain says New Zealand’s nuclear free policy should not affect the country’s chances of securing a free trade deal with the US.
KITA launches web portal on FTAs
11-Jan-2006
The Korea International Trade Association on Wednesday launched a web portal on the country’s free trade agreements.
Urgent call to amend FTA
11-Jan-2006
THE Bracks Government yesterday called on the Federal Government to negotiate "urgent amendments" to the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, claiming Victorian manufacturers had become victims of artificial trade barriers.
International NGO solidarity statement: US-Thai free trade negotiations
11-Jan-2006
Thai AIDS activists and their international allies are seeking suspension of scheduled trade talks that threaten to undermine Thailand’s lawful ability to produce, import/export, and market low-cost generic versions of life-saving medicines.
Thai trade deal to be challenged
11-Jan-2006
Australia’s booming trade relations with Thailand are in doubt as a constitutional court challenge against the countries’ free trade pact looms in Bangkok.
Violence forces FTA venue switch
11-Jan-2006
Demonstrators scuffled with police at a downtown hotel, forcing a brief halt in bargaining on the proposed Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement between Thailand and the United States, and negotiators from the two countries decided to change the venue of their meeting.
Anti-FTA protests end - for now
11-Jan-2006
Protesters from 11 civil society groups opposing the proposed Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement talks between Thailand and the United States forced negotiators to move out of town Wednesday. Then they called off their three-day protest.
New year sees delay in CAFTA implementation
11-Jan-2006 IRC Americas Program
A key argument used by US transnationals and the Bush administration to pass the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)—that Central American countries themselves needed and wanted the agreement—has broken down on the eve of implementation of the controversial pact. This is a summary of the status of CAFTA implementation in each country.
Photos of demonstrations against US-Thai FTA (Chiang Mai, 10 January 2006)
11-Jan-2006 CPTech
Today, around 8000 people were demonstrating in Chiang Mai. A couple of people trying to enter the hotel where the US and Thai negotiating teams were meeting were beaten by the police. 30 people tried to swim across the river to reach the hotel and were beaten too.
Protests force brief halt to trade talks
11-Jan-2006 Bangkok Post
Negotiations on the Thai-US free trade area (FTA) pact were forced to halt briefly yesterday as protesters used any means they could to disrupt the talks.