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Kenya, India strengthen bilateral trade
24-Dec-2008 African Manager
Kenya last week signed a new bilateral agreement with India, geared towards advancing trade, investment and technical cooperation.
GCC suspends FTA talks with EU
24-Dec-2008 Khaleej Times
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday said it had suspended talks with the European Union for a free trade agreement (FTA). The decision to halt more than two decades of hard negotiations between the two regional economic blocs to sign the world’s first region-to-region free trade agreement came a week ahead of a crucial summit by GCC leaders in Muscat.
Europe: ’Double standards on trade’
23-Dec-2008 IPS
Double standards are being applied in the way that the European Union awards trade preferences to poor countries, an African exporters grouping has alleged.
SA welcomes landmark European trade offer
22-Dec-2008 Business Day
The European Commission has made a major concession in trade talks with the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu), offering a deal that should avert the break-up of the customs union. It proposed a tariff deal that would align the bloc’s controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the bilateral trade agreement under which SA trades with the EU. If accepted, the offer would essentially allow Sacu to maintain its common external tariff and keep the customs union intact.
New rules will allow small RP banana farmers to sell to Japan
22-Dec-2008 GMA News
A final protocol for the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) allowing small farmers to sell bananas to Japan has been submitted and is up for comment, said a Bureau of Plant Industry official.
Canadian company threatens El Salvador with CAFTA lawsuit over mining project
22-Dec-2008 Upside Down World
A Canadian mining company intends to sue El Salvador’s government for several hundred million dollars if it is not granted permission to open a widely unpopular gold and silver mine that scientists warn would have devastating effects on local water supplies.
GCC may have more FTAs in near future
22-Dec-2008 Zawya
The GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed last week comes almost a year after the six gulf nations announced a common market to remove trade barriers within themselves and to deal with the world as one entity. Economists predict that the agreement will serve as a precursor to more FTAs between Gulf and prominent Asian economies.
EPA: a contract to destroy the Senegalese’ flimsy economy
22-Dec-2008 PressAfrik
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is a danger to the fishing sector and the food safety in West Africa and particularly in Senegal.
ASEAN FTA by March first week: Jairam Ramesh
21-Dec-2008 Indopia
The Free Trade Agreement between India and ASEAN will be signed in the first week of March 2009. It will lead to tough competition from Vietnam, whose productivity in tea, coffee and pepper is much higher than India’s.
Australia-Korea free trade agreement preparatory talks conclude
21-Dec-2008 The Hon Simon Crean MP
Australia and Korea have concluded preparatory talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
Korean, EU trade ministers to meet in January
21-Dec-2008 KBS
South Korea and the EU hope to finalise their FTA in January
Japan to help Vietnam strengthen car, electronic parts industries
21-Dec-2008 Vietnam Business News
According to JETRO, Japan will boost support to Vietnam next year, once the two governments sign an FTA, for the benefit of both Vietnamese and Japanese corporations
EU to continue FTA talks with Peru, Colombia
20-Dec-2008 Xinhua
The European Union said Friday that it had decided to pursue a Free Trade Agreement deal with Peru and Colombia despite reservations from Bolivia and Ecuador.
Vietnam, US holds first BIT negotiation
19-Dec-2008 VNA
The first round of negotiations on the Vietnam-US Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) was held in Washington from Dec. 15-18.
EU trade agreement with Central America may force ACP countries out of banana business
19-Dec-2008 African Agriculture
The banana companies in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States maybe forced out of business following the European Union’s decision to negotiate a Free Trade agreement (FTA) with Central American countries in what the ACP Group describes as on “too generous” terms.
EU-Moroccan deal "illegal" - UN expert
19-Dec-2008 afrol News
Former UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell calls the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement illegal because it includes the waters off Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.
South Korea trade fight gets ugly
19-Dec-2008 NYT
The parliamentary battle over a contentious free trade deal in South Korea led to a confrontation on Thursday in which opposition lawmakers used a sledgehammer to knock down the doors of a blockaded room in which a committee was discussing the agreement.
JETRO White Paper on International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment (2008)
19-Dec-2008 JETRO
Many Japanese companies, including those catering to domestic demand, are aiming to expand their sales in overseas markets. The focus in this White Paper is placed on emerging resource rich countries as new potential overseas markets for Japanese companies. Contains chapter on FTAs.
Bolivia to hold off on legal action vs US over trade
18-Dec-2008 Reuters
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales said on Tuesday he would hold off on legal action over the US suspension of trade benefits for the Andean nation in hopes that President-elect Barack Obama will reverse the step.
India, Myanmar ink bilateral agreements
18-Dec-2008 IRIS
India and Myanmar have signed Bilateral Investment Promotion Agreement (BIPA) and agreements on banking arrangements.