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Oriental doctors protest FTA talks
Despite the government yesterday ruling out the possibility of opening the Oriental medicine market in ongoing free trade talks with the United States, Korea’s doctors are still planning to stage protests.
Andean Community survived in 2006, doubtful prospects for 2007
The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales and the elected President from Ecuador, Rafael Correa, confirmed that their countries would continue as full members of the Andean Community (CAN). However, they state that strong changes are necessary to consolidate a social as well as an economic integration.
Spain and Colombia sign strategic association accord
The Spanish and Colombian governments said Tuesday they had signed a strategic association accord aimed at boosting bilateral contacts and cooperation in economic, political and cultural areas.
Trade deal ignites Colombia House
The approval of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the US is expected to generate hot congressional debates in Bogota, due to its rejection by businesspeople, farmers, and some congress people.
Happily ever AAFTA
This year President Bush and the Democratic-led Congress should launch a new Association of American Free Trade Agreements (AAFTA), writes Robert Zoellick in the Wall Street Journal.
US-South Korean free-trade agreement: The cost of failure
The inability of the US to reach a major trade agreement with South Korea signals that Europe could set standards in global trade.
FTA sparks toxic waste dump fears
Greenpeace activists appealed to Tokyo yesterday to terminate a clause in the Thai-Japanese free trade agreement (FTA) which makes it easier for Japan to export toxic waste to Thailand. Under the FTA, tariffs on waste will be eliminated to help Japan’s waste exporters, the environmental group said.
Malaysia-US FTA negotiations hit turbulence
Disagreements have surfaced in the third round of negotiations in November for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Malaysia and the United States. This has provided a glimmer of hope for a civil society coalition that has been actively campaigning against the FTA for fear that it could be damaging to Malaysia’s economic sovereignty and to the interests of workers, the poor and the marginalised.
New markets for Turkish businessmen
Turkey’s Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade will begin Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with four countries in the first half of this year in order to find new markets for Turkish businessmen and to extend current ones.
Open letter from Peruvian agricultural producers
To the People of the United States of America, to the Members of the US Congress: We are sending this letter on behalf of the nine million farmers and rural workers of the coast, highlands, and tropical forests of Peru, who are concerned about the final results of the Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) completed in December 2005 between the trade representatives of Peru and the United States.
Foreigners to be given say in policy making
Foreign companies will likely be invited to participate in policymaking processes of the Korean government. The plan is mostly aimed at preventing possible risks of a series of lawsuits from US investors after a possible free trade agreement (FTA) with the world’s largest economy.
Skirmishes over an unpublished US-RP Free Trade Agreement
Just before Christmas trade negotiators for the United States and Panama announced that a deal had been reached on a US-Panama Free Trade Agreement. However, at the time this issue of The Panama News was uploaded the text of the agreement was still being withheld from the public in both countries and the Panamanian government was disputing one of the key claims about the deal that was made on the US Trade Representative’s website.
Indo-Arabic economic bloc mooted
The UAE has proposed an Indo-Arabic economic bloc with a view to ensure prosperity and growth over the long term for the two sides.
EU and Syria start over
Syria is the only Mediterranean country which has not signed an agreement with the EU. Can a timely carrot-and-stick strategy re-engage both?
US-UAE free trade deal in limbo
The Bush administration needs to wrap up a deal with the UAE by late March to get it through Congress before its "trade promotion authority" expires at the end of June.
US sees ’solid basis’ for Malaysia trade talks
Malaysia’s initial offer to open its market to more US farm and manufactured goods sets the stage for progress next week on a proposed free trade pact, a US trade official said on Friday.
Argentina, Mexico in deal to boost trade by 350 million dollars
A new accord between Argentina and Mexico has come in force as from January 1st whereby they increased to about 1,500 the number of bilateral trade products with a sliding scale that will lead to zero tariff in ten years time, Argentina`s Foreign Affairs ministry said.
Merkel promotes TAFTA with Bush
A U.S.-European economic partnership is critical to both regions’ economies, new European Union President Angela Merkel of Germany says.
Some hope for US-UAE trade deal
A free trade deal between the US and the UAE is still possible, even though talks fell off track last year, a US business leader said.
EPA with Europe in doubt
Intransigence of positions and unfolding of more "red lines" by bureaucrats at the European Commission (EC) could jeopardise the region’s hopes of securing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, outgoing chief negotiator of the Pacific, Kaliopate Tavola has warned.