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Mandelson backs new EU-India trade and investment agreement
The EU Commissioner for Trade, Peter Mandelson, has today told Indian and EU Business leaders that EU and India should boost their bilateral trade and economic relationship with a new trade and investment agreement.
Bush free trade plan puts Amazon up for grabs
The Bush administration is quietly pressing for a free trade agreement with Peru that will put the Amazon rainforest - often described as one of the earth’s lungs - on the chopping block.
Africa: Trade still prime engine for prosperity in Africa, official says
The United States is doubling the number of its trade and investment framework agreements (TIFAs) in Africa.
India-ASEAN cooperation in services - an overview
India and ASEAN have complementary expectations from the FTA under negotiation. While ASEAN stands to gain most in goods liberalisation, India’s interests clearly lie in services.
Prospects for IT-enabled services under a Indo-US FTA
ITES/BPO services is an important and growing component of India’s trade in services with the US. While the Indian government has implemented several measures to support the growth of this sector, Indian companies face various barriers in the US market such as anti-outsourcing regulations, restrictive visa/work permit regime and concerns relating to protection of sensitive data.
Chile, Colombia begin free trade talks
Chile and Colombia on Tuesday began a series of free trade talks which they aimed to complete within two months, Carlos Furche, who heads Chile’s negotiating team, said. "The bilateral free trade agreement with Colombia will be the broadest and deepest in the region," he noted.
Iraq to sign trade agreement with EU, Foreign Minister says
Iraq Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari said that Iraq would shortly sign a trade agreement with the European Union (EU). The agreement would treat Iraq as a friendly country to the EU and give it priority in commercial exchanges, according to the Ministry.
Thailand halts trade talks until new government
Thailand will suspend all bilateral free trade talks until a new civilian government is elected a year from now, Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said on Wednesday, following last month’s coup.
EU may sign FTA with MERCOSUR
The European Parliament will vote today on a report that urges European Union to sign, as soon as possible, the Free Trade Agreement it is discussing with the South Common Market (MERCOSUR) since 1999.
Gulf: take oil, open financial sector
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has asked India to push through financial sector reforms and in return offered its huge oil and gas reserves to meet the country’s energy needs.
Nuke test poses minimal impact on KORUS FTA talks
One glaring issue is Gaeseong, the inter-industrial park located in North Korea. Seoul, up until the previous round of FTA negotiations held last month, said it would not give up trying to persuade Washington to include products made in Gaeseong in their deal.
Canadians, Americans feel losers in NAFTA
According to a poll by Ipsos-Reid for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Canada Institute on North American Issues, 63 per cent of Canadian respondents and 53 per cent of American respondents believe their respective countries were losers as a result of the commerce agreement.
Services liberalization in the new generation of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs): How much further than the GATS?
A comprehensive overview of services liberalization commitments in the new generation of preferential trade agreements as compared to prevailing GATS commitments and Doha Round offers.
’India, UK need new free trade pact’
Britain and the European Union urgently need an unprecedented new free trade pact with India, the UK’s leading organization representing 240,000 businesses and 80 of the FTSE’s 100 companies has demanded.
Peru urges Bush to push through FTA now
While his neighbors in South America are in no hurry to ratify a free trade agreement with Washington, Peruvian President Alan Garcia plans to ask President George W. Bush to push for ratification of the beached Free Trade Treaty today.
EU flexes its colonial muscles with divide and rule strategies to crush former colonies with unfair trade agreements
Representatives of ACP countries have been in the UK to lobby politicians to pressurise the government over its proposed new trade agreements. Black Britain spoke to them about how the agreements will destroy their economies and their lives.
ECOWAS Ministers endorse controversial EPA deal
The Ministerial Monitoring Committee of the Economic Partnership Agreement, between West Africa and the European Community, have recommended to the sub-regional body to speed up the controversial partnership deal with the European Union.
Revisiting NAFTA: Still not working for North America’s workers
NAFTA should be seen not as a stand-alone treaty, but as part of a long-term campaign by the conservative business interests in all three countries to rip up their respective domestic social contract.
Asean negative list covers only 80% products: India
In an interesting reversal of roles in the on-going India-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, India has expressed dissatisfaction with Asean’s negative list of items (products to be excluded from duty reduction commitments) and has asked for amendments in order to enhance market access for Indian products.
EU asks C. America to select single negotiator for trade talks
EU foreign relations director-general Eneko Landaburu on Monday urged Central American nations to choose a single negotiator for talks on an association agreement between the two trade blocs.