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Taiwan asks US to use security law as model for FTA
Taiwan has asked the United States to use a special law that commits American defence to Taipei as a framework for forging a free trade agreement between the two economies.
Colombian president asks congress to fast track FTA with US
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Tuesday asked Congress to fast track a free trade agreement with the US, saying prompt approval is a "necessity" because the US is Colombia’s main trading partner.
W. Africa accepts year-end EU trade deal deadline
West African countries said on Tuesday they had agreed to conclude a new trade deal with the European Union by the end of this year and drop demands for a two-year delay.
Joseph Stiglitz defends public ownership
The Nobel prizewinner said he believes neither Colombia nor the United States needs a Free Trade Agreement. “It’s not necessary. One of the problems is that within these treaties there isn’t really much commerce. They are mainly about protection of investments and intellectual property that will make it harder for Colombians to acquire medicines that can save their lives,” Stiglitz said.
Intellectual property, bilateral agreements and sustainable development: The challenges of implementation
What appears to be the experience of countries that have negotiated FTAs is that the process of negotiations does not conclude with the signing of the agreement. The implementation process is a complex and tedious one. In addition, once this implementation phase has been concluded, a subsequent and difficult phase begins with the monitoring of this implementation.
Korea, Canada make progress on farm issues in FTA talks
Korea and Canada have made progress on agricultural issues in their latest free trade talks, brightening the prospect for a formal agreement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest said Tuesday in Seoul.
Pros and cons waging ad war on FTA
Proponents and opponents of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States are waging a war through advertisements to win the hearts and minds of the Korean public.
Malaysia Attorney-General defends generic medicines before UN rights body
Malaysia’s Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani has publicly stated his country’s stand "that generic drugs should not be restricted in any manner". Implying that a US-Malaysia FTA could result in more expensive drugs, he said that Malaysia is not going to negotiate on this issue, and added “we are providing the drugs for free.”
Canada nears European trade treaty
Canada is quietly entering the latter stages of free-trade talks with Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. If concluded, this would be the first free-trade deal Canada has endorsed in nearly six years and the first sign that Ottawa is serious about catching up in the global race to sew up preferential commercial partners.
Mexicans protest sharp hike of tortillas, other food staples
Thousands of people marched in Mexico City to protest the sharp hike of basic food products, including tortillas, and to demand the government exclude food staples from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "No corn, no country," the protesters shouted in the first major demonstration to confront conservative President Felipe Calderon since he took office December 1.
India, Japan move closer to trade pact
India and Japan have decided to set up four working groups in goods, services, investment and bilateral cooperation to take forward negotiations on the proposed bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).
EU-Korea FTA prospects good: envoy
"Everything will be on the table" when Korea and the European Union start official negotiations for a free trade agreement in March, said EU Ambassador Brian McDonald.
More trade concessions likely for Mercosur bloc
India may expand the list of items on which it will offer concessional imports to the Mercosur trading bloc as the two parties work towards an FTA.
US targets Malaysia in drive to sign Muslim countries to free trade agreement
FTAs are increasingly being regarded by many countries as Washington’s economic analogue of a nuclear bomb.
UAE weights price of trade pact with US
The United Arab Emirates is mulling whether to make political concessions to the United States in a free trade pact that has eluded both countries for nearly two years.
Deadlock of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) in Ouagadougou
EPA negotiators from West Africa and the European Union meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from the 23 -26 January, failed to reach agreement on key issues regarding the results of the mid-term review of the EPA negotiations and the way forward.
Court: free trade draft stays under wraps
A South Korean court ruled that the government is not required to disclose a current draft of the proposed South Korea-US free trade agreement.
US eyes closer trade, investment ties with Vietnam
The US hopes to open negotiations with Vietnam on a Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA), an important step towards establishing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Vietnam, a USTR official said Friday.
Uruguay signs a TIFA with the US: Will this mean an unraveling of Mercosur?
On January 25, Uruguay signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the United States that could ultimately dismantle Mercosur and isolate Uruguay in the southern cone.