Mega-regional FTAs
Image credit: Ana María Palacio/pacificallianceblog.com
In the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008, several large new trade deals have been proposed to supposedly boost production, trade and growth outside the frame of the World Trade Organisation. These deals are called “mega-regionals” because they are not between two countries alone and involve large shares of world trade or investment. The following fall into this category:
the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) between the US, Japan and 10 other countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam); the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the 28-member European Union and the US; the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement between the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and six countries ASEAN already has FTAs with (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea); the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) being hammered out between 23 countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, EU, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the US); and the Tripartite FTA (TFTA) merging three African regional economic communities: the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC). the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), next stage of the TFTA in which all 54 African Union states are expected to be member
The TFTA was signed in June 2015 and the TPP in February 2016, but are not yet in force. All the other deals are under negotiation.
In this section we collate leaks and texts of these agreements.
October 2016
Articles
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22-Mar-2017 KEI RCEP - draft chapter on trade in services (Dec 2016)
As leaked by KEI -
22-Mar-2017 KEI RCEP - draft chapter on competition (Dec 2016)
As leaked by KEI -
22-Mar-2017 KEI RCEP - draft chapter on investment: temporary safeguard measures (Dec 2016)
As leaked by KEI -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - small group non paper on ecommerce (Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on telecommunications services (Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on air transport services (3 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on delivery services (9 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on domestic regulation (15 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on electronic commerce (Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on international maritime transport services (14 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on movement of natural persons (8 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on localization provisions (Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on state-owned enterprises - revised text - summary of changes (Oct 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on state-owned enterprises additional (Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on state-owned enterprises (Sep 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - non paper on telecommunications services (Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft text on transparency (6 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on road freight transport and related logistics services (9 Nov 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft annex on financial services (Nov 2016)
From November 2016 negotiating round -
29-Jan-2017 TiSA - draft core text (14 Jul 2016)
from November 2016 negotiating round
News from the movements
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29-Jun-2017 bilaterals.org
Trade politics in flux: what social movement responses?
Instead of settling for more “inclusive” brands of capitalism, we ought to reclaim and build a clear and radical political and economic vision. -
28-Jun-2017 Radio Mundo Real
Six years after the ‘Aymarazo’ protests in Peru
Criminal charges pending against 18 community leaders and a billion-dollar court case at ICSID.
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27-Jun-2017 Public Citizen
As NAFTA hearings open, more than 100,000 petitions delivered and 50,000 public comments filed demanding a new deal to benefit working people, not just corporations
Unprecedented public response to administration request for comment spotlights political stakes of NAFTA renegotiation. -
26-Jun-2017 RQIC
Political declaration of the encounter of social organizations of Canada, United States and Mexico
The participants in the Encounter of Social Organizations of Canada, the United States and Mexico, facing the likely prospect of renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), condemn this model which has seriously affected national development in a manner contrary to the interests of our peoples, the environment, and our democratic system. -
26-Jun-2017 RQIC
Déclaration politique de la rencontre des organisations sociales du Canada, des États-Unis et du Mexique
Les personnes participantes à la rencontre des organisations sociales du Canada, des États-Unis et du Mexique, face à l’amorce imminente du processus de renégociation de l’Accord de libre-échange nord-américain (ALÉNA), condamnent ce modèle qui a gravement affecté le développement national. -
26-Jun-2017 RQIC
Declaración política del encuentro de organizaciones sociales de Canadá, Estados Unidos y México
Las y los participantes en el Encuentro de Organizaciones Sociales de Canadá, Estados Unidos y México, ante el inminente proceso de renegociación del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN), condenamos este modelo porque ha afectado gravemente el desarrollo nacional. -
26-Jun-2017 El Diario
Sindicatos, asociaciones y ONG piden a los parlamentarios españoles que rechacen el CETA
Firman una carta que reclama a los grupos del Congreso que no suscriban el tratado comercial con Canadá “al no estar al servicio del interés público”. -
23-Jun-2017 Minga Informativa de Movimientos Sociales
Declaración Política del Encuentro de Organizaciones Sociales de Canadá, Estados Unidos y México
Las y los participantes en el Encuentro de Organizaciones Sociales de Canadá, Estados Unidos y México, ante el inminente proceso de renegociación del TLCAN, condenamos este modelo porque ha afectado gravemente el desarrollo nacional, siendo contrario a los intereses de los pueblos, del medio ambiente y de nuestro sistema democrático.
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