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Qatar, Tunisia discuss signing free trade agreement
17-Nov-2020 The Peninsula
The two countries aim to increase the volume of trade exchange and diversify it by signing a free trade agreement.
Tensions simmer over EU-Africa trade relations
17-Nov-2020 Euractiv
Trade relations are likely to be at the heart of the delayed EU-Africa ‘strategic partnership’, but only if long-standing tensions can be resolved.
No agreements that are FTAs by stealth with China, to focus on EU, US: India on RCEP
17-Nov-2020 The Economic Times
India will avoid joining agreements which are actually trade pacts by stealth with China and instead explore trade agreements with developed countries with large markets such as the US and EU where Indian products and services would be competitive unlike ASEAN.
Taiwan talks up trans-Pacific trade pact after exclusion from world’s largest free-trade bloc RCEP
16-Nov-2020 The Straits Times
Trade-dependent Taiwan has made relatively good progress towards joining the revamped version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but it is awaiting clearer rules on membership, the island’s chief trade negotiator said.
Trade agreements as door-openers
16-Nov-2020 D+C
Bilateral trade agreements often act as door-openers for the manufactured products of multinational food companies. Milk powder with vegetable fat is an example.
S. Korea to hold 4th round of talks on amending FTA with Chile
16-Nov-2020 Yonhap
The two sides will hold discussions on five categories — goods, intellectual property rights, trade promotion, anti-corruption and cooperation.
China-Africa relations: Beijing says it will help pay for world’s largest free-trade zone
16-Nov-2020 South China Morning Post
China will provide ‘cash assistance and capacity-building training’ for the African Continental Free-Trade Area, which spans 55 nations with a combined economy of US$3.4 trillion and 1.3 billion consumers, Chinese Foreign Minister says.
Women’s rights groups angered on decision to sign RCEP
15-Nov-2020 APWLD
Women’s movement from Asia and the Pacific is angered by the decision of ASEAN and its five trading partners to sign RCEP. The trade agreement will cover 30% of the world’s population and women farmers, women workers and women-led small enterprises will be the worst hit from this trade agreement.
RCEP: Asia-Pacific countries form world’s largest trading bloc
15-Nov-2020 BBC News
Fifteen countries have formed the world’s largest trading bloc, covering nearly a third of the global economy. The RCEP is made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Modi calls for early review of free trade agreement
13-Nov-2020 The Hindu Business Line
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an early review of the ASEAN-India trade in goods agreement that has been pending for a long time at the virtual ASEAN-India Summit.
Fears world’s biggest trade deal could spark conflicts, hurt farmers
13-Nov-2020 Thomson Reuters Foundation News
An Asia-Pacific trade deal backed by China could hurt small scale farmers, cause more land conflicts, and leave workers in poorer nations without protection as they struggle to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, human rights groups said on Friday.
RCEP will impact the future of developing countries
13-Nov-2020 Indonesia for Global Justice
In a webinar held on 10th November, economic experts, business owners, civil society organisations and parliamentarians expressed their concerns about RCEP, a mega free trade agreement which is likely to be signed on November 15, 2020.
Women’s movement across Asia and the Pacific demand #NoRCEP
13-Nov-2020 APWLD
As the 10 ASEAN countries and their 5 trading partners get ready to sign the anti-people trade deal, the countries must conduct social and human rights impact analysis on RCEP before signing or ratifying it.
It’s not just chlorinated chickens: there’s still nothing appetising about a UK-US trade deal
13-Nov-2020 The Guardian
How America’s low-welfare standards could wreck the UK’s farming and food industry.
Canada’s Justin Trudeau says trade deal with UK may not be done
13-Nov-2020 The Independent
Canadian PM suggests London lacks ‘bandwidth’ to get agreement finalised by end of year.
Greenpeace Africa petitions CS on plastic deal in Kenya–US trade talks
12-Nov-2020 The Star
The Kenyan Trade Cabinet received a 20,000–strong petition calling on her to take a strong stand against any influence by the American Chemistry Council, which Greenpeace said is keen to secure market for the US plastic industry.
Nigeria ratifies membership of AfCFTA
12-Nov-2020 Xinhua
The Nigerian government ratified the country’s membership of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
New UK-Japan trade agreement could be disaster for data protection
12-Nov-2020 Tom’s Guide
One prominent digital-privacy group is warning that a new trade deal between the United Kingdom and Japan could result in an “existential threat” to British data privacy.
EPA: Cameroon set on suspending tariff dismantling till the end of 2020 despite the EU’s protests
12-Nov-2020 Business in Cameroon
Despite the European Union’s (EU) protests, Cameroon will maintain the suspension of tariff dismantling planned by the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that binds it to EU countries.
A toxic UK-US deal is just as likely under President Biden
12-Nov-2020 The Guardian
It’s down to the public to make sure big business doesn’t get its way – we can’t rely on Boris Johnson or Biden to stop it