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India will have to allay fears of other members about its dominance
29-Jan-2006
THE SOUTH Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) has come into force with effect from January 1. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which consists of seven countries, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is expected to start implementing SAFTA from June - July this year.
FTA talks with Washington need firm leadership
29-Jan-2006
Korea has agreed to slash a screen quota reserving time in the theaters for domestic films to 73 days a year as requested by Washington, thus removing the last hurdle to free trade negotiations with the U.S. The government will reportedly announce the start date for the FTA talks early next month.
Thai industrial sector asks preconditions to US FTA pact
29-Jan-2006
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has urged the government to reach an agreement regarding the origin of raw materials and quality standards of Thai-produced goods with US trade negotiators before signing a Thai-US free trade area (FTA) agreement with Washington.
Present capacity and future development of the Andean struggle against the FTA
29-Jan-2006
The region-wide campaign against the US-Andean free trade agreement (FTA) made important, if partial, achievements in 2005. The FTA negotiation has been delayed thanks to social pressure, but it has not been stopped.
EOs imperil vegetable, fruit industries
28-Jan-2006 ABS-CBN
The reduction of tariffs on wide range of agricultural products as mandated by Executive Orders 485 and 487 under the China-ASEAN FTA would impact the Philippines’ vegetable and fruit industries, a coalition of nongovernment organizations for the agriculture sector said.
India for pan-Asian trade agreement
28-Jan-2006 Financial Express
India on Friday expressed its desire for eventually expanding the proposed comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (Ceca) with Asean to a pan-Asian pact covering six more countries including Japan, China, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, aiming at a common economic community in East Asia.
Ecuador espera cerrar TLC con EEUU en febrero
28-Jan-2006 AP
Ecuador tiene "buenas posibilidades" de cerrar un tratado de libre comercio con Estados Unidos cuando reanude el diálogo en febrero, pero tampoco tiene prisa y no adoptará a ciegas los modelos de Colombia y Perú, dijo el viernes el principal negociador ecuatoriano Manuel Chiriboga.
Government steps up efforts to explain FTA issue to public
27-Jan-2006
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak on Friday instructed state agencies concerned to accelerate disseminating information on negotiations for a planned free trade area (FTA) between Thailand and the United States to ensure that the public get proper understanding on the matter.
Korea-US FTA talks to start in May
27-Jan-2006
"It is highly likely that the actual formal negotiation between Korea and the U.S. would begin in May, even though the official announcement is to be made in mid-February,’’ Korea International Trade Association (KITA) FTA Team head Jeong Jae-hwa said.
US-Thailand FTA - IPR text proposed by US (2006)
27-Jan-2006
US proposal on ’patents’ and on ’measures related to certain regulated products’ for negotiation with Thailand under the IPR chapter of the current US-Thailand FTA talks.
US, Korea inch closer to launch FTA
27-Jan-2006
South Korea inched closer to launching a free trade deal with the United States Thursday after it agreed to reduce restrictions of its domestic film screenings a pivotal blockade in launching negotiations.
Trading diplomacy
26-Jan-2006
This week the issue of a potential US- Egyptian free trade agreement (FTA) emerged back in the spotlight. Reports coming from Washington suggest that the Bush administration has once again put on hold Egypt’s long aspired to dreams of a bilateral FTA.
IP standards in US-Peru FTA to affect talks with Colombia and Ecuador?
26-Jan-2006 ICTSD
Critics argue that the biodiversity provisions in the US-Peru FTA do not improve the status quo to effectively tackle concerns over misappropriation of biodiversity and TK.
India, Saudi Arabia sign landmark business deal
26-Jan-2006
India bilateral business and economic ties with Saudi Arabia got a significant boost with the signing of the proposed Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
Prime Minister hints at early FTA with US
26-Jan-2006 Business Recorder
US President George W Bush has instructed Trade Representative Rob Portman to expedite the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told newsmen on board a flight returning home after a weeklong visit to US.
Seoul will cut protection for domestic film industry by 50%
26-Jan-2006
Hollywood will get greater access to South Korea’s movie market after the government said Thursday that it would cut in half the quota of homegrown films that must be shown in the country’s cinemas.
S. Korea may announce start of FTA talks with US on Feb. 2
26-Jan-2006 Asia Pulse
South Korea is expected to announce the start of free trade negotiations with the United States on February 2, a government source said Thursday.
Korea to halve screen quota
26-Jan-2006
South Korea on Thursday decided to halve its 40-year-old screen quota, the mandatory period for theaters to show domestic films a year, to 73 days to clear the way for its free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.
US, South Korea near free-trade talks
26-Jan-2006
The United States and South Korea are very close to launching negotiations for a free-trade agreement, which would be the most economically significant free-trade pact for Washington since the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.
US-NZ FTA prospects dip
26-Jan-2006
New Zealand’s chances of securing free trade talks with the United States have taken a knock.