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Of rice and men
10-Jul-2005 Tech Central Station
For US and Thai trade negotiators meeting next week in Montana, intellectual property rights protections for plant breeders and pharmaceutical innovators are proving to be the most contentious issues in negotiating a Thailand-US Free Trade Agreement (TUSFTA).
Interview: Free trade hurting India vanaspati makers
10-Jul-2005 Dow Jones Newswire
India’s vanaspati industry, already plagued by excess capacity, has been cast into deeper gloom lately by trade agreements that have opened the way for cheaper imports from neighboring Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Statement of National Corn Growers Association on US-Morocco FTA
10-Jul-2005 US HoR
The Morocco FTA cuts the tariff on US corn initially in half and then proceeds to zero by year six. This provides a significant advantage to US exporters and could potentially allow them to capture near 100 percent of the Moroccan market.
Chinese Amb. Wang calls for preparations for Japan-China FTA
9-Jul-2005 Kyodo
Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi called on the Japanese business community Friday to launch preparations for negotiations on a Japan-China free trade agreement.
South Africa, Japan plan panel to get FTA ball rolling
9-Jul-2005 Japan Times
Japan and South Africa agreed Thursday to form a study group to examine the feasibility of striking a bilateral free-trade agreement. Japan will proceed with South African FTA talks with an eye to eventually concluding a free-trade pact with the entire SACU.
US-Thai FTA: Framework needed before discussions on finance sector
9-Jul-2005 Bangkok Post
Financial sector liberalisation is a sensitive subject for the talks. US authorities have insisted that no FTA agreement can be negotiated without it. Thai authorities have been reluctant to make any commitments on opening up the banking, insurance, asset management or securities sectors.
Sacu-US trade talks to resume
9-Jul-2005 Sunday Times
The year-long deadlock in free-trade negotiations between the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and the US appears to have been broken with talks set to resume in September.
Malaysia should improve IPR protection, says US
8-Jul-2005 The Edge Daily
The protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) has been identified as being one of the main concerns for US investors to come into Malaysia, said the United States ambassador to Malaysia, Christopher J LaFleur.
Japan, SAfrica agree to study launching free trade agreement talks - report
8-Jul-2005 AFX
Japan and South Africa have agreed to examine the feasibility of striking a free trade agreement, Kyodo News reported, citing sources in the trade ministry here.
Dabhol deal on track, Bechtel says it’s willing to settle
8-Jul-2005 Newind Press
The Dabhol settlement process is almost complete with US-based Bechtel Corp finally informing the Indian side that it’s willing to settle and not proceed with international arbitration.
Exporting prices: Drug makers’ trade group makes the industry’s priorities US trade policy
8-Jul-2005 Center for Public Integrity
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which represents 67 parent companies and subsidiaries that develop and make prescription and over-the-counter drugs, listed contacts with the government’s top officials overseeing international trade agreements on more lobbying reports than it did for contacts with the Food and Drug Administration, which directly oversees the industry’s products.
Bahrain parliament approves FTA with the US
8-Jul-2005 Aljazeera
The Bahraini parliament approved a free trade agreement with the United States. Some lawmakers wanted to use the agreement to press Washington to release six Bahrainis detained by the US at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But most MPs decided that they have a better chance to resolve the issue by ratifying the accord.
India to go slow on trade pacts with US and EU
8-Jul-2005 Financial Express
The Prime Minister’s Trade and Economic Relationship Committee has decided to go slow on bilateral trade agreements with Washington and Brussels. Even in the limited context of services, the government would rather remain unget-at-able to the two largest trading partners of the country in the medium term. Much less would New Delhi harbour the idea of entering into more comprehensive economic agreements covering trade in goods, investment and financial services with the twosome.
CAFTA reflects Democrats’ shift from trade bills
7-Jul-2005 Washington Post
Twelve years ago, amid heated rhetoric over job losses and heavy union pressure, the House passed the North American Free Trade Agreement with 102 Democratic votes. This month, as President Bush pushes the far less economically significant Central American Free Trade Agreement, he will be lucky to get more than 10.
Indonesia, Japan to negotiate on EPA
7-Jul-2005 Xinhua
Indonesia and Japan will begin negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on July 14 in Jakarta.
Walking tall
7-Jul-2005 Business Today
By tying a free-trade agreement to the outcome of Egypt’s ongoing political reform campaign, Washington is ramping up the pressure. Can the Nazif Government set up an infrastructure that will make strong business ties indispensable regardless of the political atmosphere?
What does India-Singapore agreement hold in store?
6-Jul-2005 Economic Times
The India-Singapore CECA which will be effective from August 1, ’05 is reckoned to be forerunner for similar such agreements which are now being finalised and are close to fruition.
M’sia’s trade will see an uptrend with FTAs
5-Jul-2005 Bernama
Malaysia’s trade is expected to continue to flourish following its free trade agreements (FTAs) with its trading partners in Asia, both regionally and bilaterally, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said.
DR-CAFTA: Challenges and Opportunities for Central America (World Bank study)
5-Jul-2005 World Bank
Co-authored by World Bank economists Carlos Felipe Jaramillo and Daniel Lederman, provides an assessment of the agreement negotiated by Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua with the US.
Nakagawa intends to meet Thaksin to politically settle FTA talks
3-Jul-2005 Kyodo
Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa expressed hope Friday for talks with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to achieve a political breakthrough in bilateral negotiations to seal a free trade agreement by the end of July, the target date set by the two governments.