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Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Signed
4-Dec-2008
Not a government to fail to live up to its reactionary commitments, the Tories signed Canada’s free trade agreement with Colombia on November 21st. The signing is the culmination of the Tory government’s aggressive campaign to reach a trade deal with the human-rights troubled Andean country. Prime Minister Harper first announced his government’s intention to get a deal with Colombia during his state visit there in July, 2007. Sixteen months and three high-level cabinet-minister visits later, and voila!, mission accomplished.
India-Asean FTA misses deadline for the third time
4-Dec-2008 Hindu Business Line
The “indefinite” postponement of the 14th Asean Summit in Thailand, following the sacking of the Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Somchai Wongsawat, by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, has led to the deferment of the signing of the India-Asean free trade agreement scheduled for the third week of this month.
Kingdom, US forge science and technology cooperation
4-Dec-2008 Arab News
Saudi Arabia and the United States yesterday signed an agreement for cooperation in science and technology. The agreement formalizes a decades-long, low-key relationship between the two countries involving numerous US technical agencies, academic institutions and private business.
MAC chairwoman says Taiwan should not sign CEPA with China
3-Dec-2008
Taiwan and China should not be signing a Closer Economic Partnership Agreement such as the one between Beijing and Hong Kong, Mainland Affairs Council chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said yesterday.
Urgent action needed: EU Parliament to vote on EU-Israel Association Agreement
3-Dec-2008 Stop The Wall
The European Parliament (EP) has recently announced that a vote will be held on December 4 to enter into force the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which will enable far greater Israeli participation in European Community programs. It is urgent that all civil society organizations, and especially those in Europe, take action against the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Pooling of Resources Critical to Resolving SADC Energy Shortages
2-Dec-2008
Regional stakeholders in the energy industry meeting in Tanzania have called for cooperation, integration and pooling of resources in the energy sector as the only way of dealing with energy shortages in southern Africa.
"Don’t Sign EPAs"
2-Dec-2008
Trade sector advocacy bodies such as the Ghana Trade Livelihood Coalition and Actionaid Ghana as well as some civil society groups have renewed their call on government not to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union.
Tradeoff
2-Dec-2008
Global euphoria over the election of Barack Obama as US President George Bush’s successor has been tempered somewhat by the realisation that the Democrats have not historically been overly keen on free trade.
Plan for big-bang FTAs bites dust
2-Dec-2008
Even as uncertainty prevails over the WTO’s Doha Round negotiations with countries hardening their stance against opening up their markets due to the financial crisis and demand slowdown, India’s plan to boost its global trade ties with a slew of free trade agreements (FTA) is losing momentum, either due to major differences or political volatility.
Syria-EU ties set for revival before Christmas holidays
2-Dec-2008
Syrian and European officials are expecting to initial a second phase of the Syrian-EU Partnership Agreement, which has been on-hold due to political tension since 2004, before the Christmas holidays.
Knowing Your Trade Blocs From Your Trade Blocks
2-Dec-2008
On a daily basis we are exposed to a myriad of acronyms. A large number of these refer to some form of regional economic integration such as CMA, COMESA, FTA, IDZ, SACU and SADC, to name a few.
Costa Rica-S’pore FTA talks
2-Dec-2008
Costa Rica and Singapore on Tuesday announced their intent to start talks on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Proposed India-EU FTA draws flak
2-Dec-2008 Financial Express
A group of Indian trade unionists, farmers, fishworkers and intelligentsia have criticised the secret negotiation which are underway between India and the European Union to strike a free trade agreement (FTA). They have demanded a halt to the ongoing negotiations till transparency is achieved in the process.
Be suspicious of India-EU pact
2-Dec-2008 Economic Times
There is an outcry over the proposed India-EU free trade agreement, the contents of which are being ‘secretly’ negotiated by the two governments. Last week, an outfit called Forum on FTAs—a coalition of over 75 organisations including trade unions, farmer and fishermen groups and other civil society organisations—demanded that the talks be halted immediately.
SADC Free Trade a Boon for Namibian Market, Says Report
1-Dec-2008
The size of the domestic market has long been a thorn in the flesh for local businesses.
IGAD set to become free trade area in 2009 - Chief
30-Nov-2008
The seven-member regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is set to become a free trade area.
Free trade by any other name
30-Nov-2008
As the December 2007 deadline was approaching, the European Commission realised that it would not get what it badly wanted: to close a deal with all African regions on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - basically free-trade pacts.
CSME on slow march
30-Nov-2008
There are growing concerns, regionwide, that the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) project may be in serious danger of not being realised as planned for 2015. It is currently on a slow march.
Timing of FTA ratification
30-Nov-2008
The Lee government seems to have come to realize, albeit belatedly, that its attempted push for early enforcement of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) was a non-starter from the beginning. The FTA was a top priority for President Lee Myung-bak, who believed it would help turn around the nation’s declining economy.
Thailand: Status as regional leader in doubt
30-Nov-2008 IPS
The inability of the government to function lessens the prospect of Thailand failing to get parliament’s approval of trade deals vital for ASEAN’s economic agenda. The country needs to get the legislature’s backing for 30 agreements, including an ASEAN-India free trade agreement and an ASEAN-South Korea free trade agreement.