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Workers will suffer from weakened Andean Community
Free trade agreements with the United States and Venezuela’s announced withdrawal from the Andean Community trade bloc will have an impact on workers, the ‘Cinderella’ of decades of integration, said trade unionists and experts in the region consulted by IPS.
BIMSTEC to miss FTA enforcement deadline
BIMSTEC, a bloc of seven countries from South and Southeast Asia, is all set to miss the date of implementing free trade accord, as differences on terms of trade is still wide and members have been failing to convene to discuss those.
OWINFS call to action: Stop the WTO’s Doha "development" round and other "free trade" negotiations
We call upon civil society organizations and social movements from around the world to join with us in showing their strong, united and unequivocal opposition to the completion of the World Trade Organization’s trade ‘round’, and other bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreements being forced on people by governments.
Yes Mr. Solana, the EU has abandoned the Palestinian people
If Solana wants to demonstrate genuine support for the Palestinians he can start by calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, in accordance with its Article 2 which grants Israel trade privileges only on condition that it respects human rights.
Thailand to include more products in FTA with India
Thailand hopes to increase the number of products in the Free Trade Agreement with India from the current 82 products.
International trade: Calling on African leaders
Why is there a sudden shift to regionalism as opposed to the much over-blown globalisation represented by multilateralism? Can Africa begin to understand that there is a dynamic and concerted effort at balkanising the continent into segmented disciplines?
Japan on verge of signing FTA
Australia is preparing to move ahead with a free-trade agreement next year with its most important trading partner, Japan, on the 50th anniversary of the ground-breaking treaty of commerce between the two countries.
South Korea, Asean to cut ag tarrifs for FTA
Under the deal, South Korea designated 200 agricultural products that will be exempt from tariff reductions due to their effect on local farmers
The Difference between the FTAs and the Trade Treaty for the People – TCP
Pablo Solón, an expert on trade and integration, identifies at least four differences between the FTA and the TCP.
EPAs are a slap in the faces of poor countries, CSOs warn
The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), currently negotiated being between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACPs) and the European Union are set to further reduce incomes of farmers and agric-related employees by 50-60%, anti-EPAs campaigners have said.
US gains more than Dominicans with DR-CAFTA
A study by Pareto consulting group shows that DR-CAFTA will be more favorable to the US than to the Dominican Republic.
Korean, Malaysian auto barriers pose trade negotiation challenge
Opening up trade in autos poses a major challenge in free-trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with South Korea and Malaysia, experts in the United States say.
Aziz links free trade to Kashmir
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday that free trade with India was not possible without resolving political disputes.
An ugly side of free trade: Sweatshops in Jordan
Propelled by a free trade agreement with the United States, apparel manufacturing is booming in Jordan, its exports to America soaring twentyfold in the last five years. But some foreign workers in Jordanian factories that produce garments for Target, Wal-Mart and other American retailers are complaining of dismal conditions - of 20-hour days, of not being paid for months and of being hit by supervisors and jailed when they complain.
No benefit from free trade deals - PIDS
Policymakers should realize that free trade agreements (FTAs) are neither necessary nor sufficient for economic growth, Dr. Josef Yap, president of the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said in a study.
Doha Round faces collapse as talks are suspended
Most trade experts believe that if a tentative deal cannot be agreed in the next few months, there will not be time to complete the details and gain approval in the US. If this happens, it would be the first time that the world trade talks have stalled, and may lead to a world which is increasingly divided into protectionist trade blocs.
Bolivian president calls for creation of Anti-imperialist Community of Nations
Before an audience of more than 25,000 gathered at Havana’s Revolution Square, which coincided with the signing of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) agreement one year ago between Cuba and Venezuela, Bolivia officially joined the regional integration agreement through its Peoples Trade Agreement (TCP).
Analysis: Is time running out for a Thai-US free trade agreement?
US officials in charge of negotiating a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) in Bangkok may not admit they have given up. But the protracted political stalemate in Thailand has made it almost impossible to conclude talks this year before the expiration of the US fast-track authority, which is crucial for Washington’s endorsement of any trade agreement.
El Salvador keen on trade deal with Qatar
El Salvador, the world’s top coffee producer, is keen to sign a free trade agreement with Qatar.
EU commissioner: Venezuelan withdrawal from CAN complicates free trade agreement
The European Community (EU) has announced that Venezuela’s withdrawal from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) will have a negative effect on planned free trade agreements.