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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.
CPTech hosts post-election FTA strategy session
Last Thursday at CPTech a packed audience and 8 panelists discussed strategies for addressing the access to medicine implications of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) between the US and other countries.
Free trade deals give Singapore insurance
We cannot eat disk drives, says Prime Minister.
ACP Heads of State and Government will meet in Khartoum (Sudan) on 7 and 8 December for their 5th Summit
The 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) will be held in Khartoum, Sudan, on 7 and 8 December around the theme “United for peace, solidarity and sustainable development”.
Thailand asks Korea to liberalise agricultural trade terms
Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet on Wednesday reiterated that Thailand would not sign an ASEAN-Korea free trade area (FTA) agreement unless Korea agrees to liberalise its policies on agricultural products, especially rice.
Egypt will be ready for free trade with Europe in three years
Egypt will be ready to create free trade area with Europe in three years, announced prime minister Ahmed Nazif. The Arab country already has a tariff preference agreement with the EU, but it does not include all products traded.
US-Colombia trade agreement must face Congress
United States signed Wednesday a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Colombia. The agreement must now face approval by both countries legislatures.