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14-Mar-2009
Syria Today
After years of political wrangling, Syria’s long-delayed Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union is expected to be ratified by EU member states by the middle of the year.
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14-Mar-2009
This report questions the much-touted benefits of opening up banking sector under the India-EU FTA. Are big European banks going to augment the reach of the banking system to millions of Indians citizens who have no access to basic banking services? What specialization and experience do European banks have when it comes to providing basic banking services to landless rural workers and urban poor dwellers? Will the India-EU FTA reduce the domestic regulatory space?
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13-Mar-2009
RRI
To meet the interest of Chile becoming a bridge between Asia-Pacific markets including Indonesian and South American, especially Latin America markets near to the Atlantic ocean, Indonesia and Chile are discussing the possibility of free trade agreements of both countries.
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13-Mar-2009
Reuters
The United States will make it a priority to get rid of barriers to US farm exports based on unjustified sanitary and phytosanitary concerns about human, animal and plant health — including the EU ban on GM crops — the designee for US Trade Representative said on Thursday.
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13-Mar-2009
S&L
The new ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement falls well short of what could be considered a good deal for Australian industry, according to the Shadow Minister for Trade, Warren Truss.
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12-Mar-2009
EU Observer
While EU and other global leaders have talked tough about re-regulating the financial sector in the wake of the economic crisis, they remain committed to pushing through banking deregulation in the developing world via trade deals.
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12-Mar-2009
Border Fire Report
There is speculation that canceling the cross-border trucking program under NAFTA could set the tables for a showdown between the Obama administration and the Mexican government.
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12-Mar-2009
APP
The 10th summit meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) on Wednesday reaffirmed its determination to move towards establishment of a free trade area in ECO region by 2015 as a priority task.
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12-Mar-2009
Reuters
Panama, Colombia and South Korea need to resolve a number of outstanding concerns before Congress will approve free trade pacts with each of those countries, a US lawmaker said on Wednesday.
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12-Mar-2009
FT
South Korea is pushing for the G20 countries to support a moratorium on new import tariffs at next month’s meeting, according to President Lee Myung-bak.
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11-Mar-2009
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11-Mar-2009
NZ Herald
Don’t misread Kirk’s testimony to yesterday’s meeting of the US Senate Finance Committee as an omen that the last rites are imminent for New Zealand’s prospective regional free-trade deal with the world’s largest consumer nation. Instead focus on Kirk’s confident statement during his Senate confirmation hearing that President Barack Obama will seek renewed trade promotion authority (or fast-track) at the "appropriate time".
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11-Mar-2009
Chosun Ilbo
The US trade representative-designate on Monday said Washington’s free trade agreement with Seoul was unfair in its current state and warned his government could ditch the deal. The FTA "as it is just simply isn’t fair, and if we don’t get that right we’ll be prepared to step away from that," Ron Kirk said in his confirmation hearing at the US Senate Finance Committee.
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10-Mar-2009
When it comes to further advancing free trade initiatives, it really makes no difference which party controls, congress or the presidency.
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10-Mar-2009
COHA
Costa Rica and China may seem to be an unlikely pairing; however, both governments have moved to deepen their ties and cement regional integration based on the pursuit of a free trade agreement, which was brought a step closer by the completion of the first round of negotiations on January 19.
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10-Mar-2009
Jakarta Post
Six years of negotiations have yet to convince India to sign a much-awaited free trade deal with ASEAN, as scheduled last week during the group’s summit. India would only ink a deal after it concludes its April general elections.
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9-Mar-2009
Scoop
New Zealand research and education network ARENA today welcomed news that the United States has postponed trade negotiations with New Zealand pending an overall review of US trade policy, and says that the New Zealand government should follow suit.
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9-Mar-2009
The Hindu
India and Nepal are seeking to update their nearly 60-year-old trade treaty with the new draft expected to be ready before India goes to staggered polls from April 16.
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9-Mar-2009
Taiwan News
Taiwan’s main opposition party vehemently opposes President Ma Ying-jeou’s push for closer relations with China, including a proposed FTA. But the Democratic Progressive Party is so enfeebled that it can’t do much about it.
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9-Mar-2009
La Estrella
Around 350 US national, state and local groups from religious to environmental sectors, representing a combined total membership of 18 million, sent a letter to the House of Representatives asking lawmakers not to ratify the free trade agreement between Panama and the United States, insisting that Panama’s economy thrives on banking secrecy and money laundering
