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Articles by language


A critique of the Asian Peasant Coalition against JPEPA
Filipinos will just be getting crumbs for all the trouble and hardship that this agreement would entail. We urge the rural people to oppose JPEPA, launch campaign, education and action against the one-sided agreement. We call on our fellow farmers in Asia, especially in Japan, to help us campaign against this pact.
Canada signs Bilateral Investment Treaty with Peru — India and China are next
On November 14, 2006, Canada and Peru signed a bilateral investment treaty (BIT), otherwise referred to as a Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA). This is Canada’s first BIT to be negotiated in eight years and the first BIT to be based on Canada’s new 2004 Model FIPA.
Pakistan wants to initiate talks on FTA with EU: Shaukat Aziz
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said this week that Pakistan desires to initiate talks on Free Trade Agreement ( FTA) with the European Union.
Members of European Parliament challenge EU-Israel relationship
MEPs will call on Ministers to examine whether Israel’s actions have breached the human rights requirements of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
China, Chile to start FTA talks on service trade/investment next Jan - report
China and Chile will start negotiations in January for a free trade agreement (FTA) covering service trade and investment, the official China Daily reported.
A critique of the EU-Latin America Business Summit in Vienna
Parallel to the 4th EU-Latin America/Caribbean Summit in Vienna this week, large corporations from both regions will gather at a Business Summit. Apart from discussing business opportunities in different sectors, the 300 business representatives attending the event are expected to demand that governments speed up a whole range of free trade talks between the two regions.
Canada seeks wider agricultural access in FTA talks
Canada has pushed for wider access to Korea’s agriculture market during the eighth round of talks for a bilateral free trade agreement last week.
Asean-Japan talks on shaky ground
Negotiations for the free-trade agreement (FTA) between Southeast Asian countries and Japan may fail as Japan is planning to request that over 500 products be excluded from the deal.
Qatar-Singapore FTA to be formalised soon
Security cooperation agreement already signed and in action.
Taiwan completes FTA consultations with El Salvador, Honduras
Taiwan has completed free trade agreement (FTA) consultations on all issues, including country of origin and market access issues, with El Salvador and Honduras.
Brussels rejects moves to link trade with aid
Despite public rhetoric that new trade agreements with some of the world’s poorest countries are a development tool, in private the European Union is insisting on excluding aid from the negotiations.
House resolution filed urging Senate to junk JPEPA
A resolution has been filed by the progressive party-list block in Congress urging the Senate to junk the controversial Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement for being ’one-sided, onerous and inimical to national interest.’
Furor over JPEPA: Will Davao’s banana workers benefit from it?
Most of the bananas from Davao are exported to Japan by Japanese companies such as Sumitomo. These companies and their contract growers or affiliates in Mindanao will benefit from any lowered tariff under JPEPA, not the farmers and plantation workers.
US-Russia bilateral/WTO deal pushes new standards for IP protection
In its bilateral negotiation with the United States in order to join the World Trade Organization, Russia appears to have agreed to intellectual property rights standards that push those of the WTO and US law to new levels.
GCC and Singapore to start talks on FTA
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Singapore have agreed to start negotiations for a free trade agreement.
Thousands rally in South Korean capital against free trade with US
Thousands of South Korean workers demonstrated Saturday against a proposed free-trade agreement between their country and the United States.
Bahrain bans strikes a month after allowing them
Bahrain has banned strikes and worker demonstrations in most business sectors, a month after labour law reforms banning the sacking of strikers encouraged a wave of trade union activity in the Gulf island state.
China, Pakistan sign free trade agreement
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf oversaw the signing of a landmark free trade deal Friday and vowed to take the allies’ "evergreen" relationship to new heights.
Briefing Paper on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA)
On December 11, 2003, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed to formally start negotiations for a comprehensive bilateral agreement called the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Malaysia lays out position on FTA with US
A statement released by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) lists out the government’s position as well as the state of play in the various areas of its negotiations on an FTA with the US.