11-Nov-2008
The governing Grand National Party (GNP) stepped back Tuesday from its plan to pass the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) unilaterally, vowing to make further efforts in drawing bipartisan consensus for the ratification.
11-Nov-2008
The Star
Although it is a member of the developing nations or what is known as the Global South, China’s emergence as an economic superpower has generated mixed reactions from its Asian neighbours.
10-Nov-2008
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the summit conference of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to be held in New Delhi on November 13. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
10-Nov-2008
The comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) being negotiated between India and Japan has hit a roadblock with the latter
proposing that five of its banks be given qualified full banking (QFB) status by India. On its part, though, Japan is not keen on offering similar status to Indian banks on the ground that they don’t measure up to Japanese standards.
10-Nov-2008
Free trade talks with the United States are likely to go on the back-burner as United States president-elect Barak Obama focuses on the global financial crisis, some southern business leaders believed.
9-Nov-2008
Rival parties are set to lock horns over parliamentary approval of the free trade agreement with the United States.
9-Nov-2008
President-elect Barak Obama will support the passage of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) in the long run to maintain the strategic relationship between the two countries, according to a noted U.S. expert.
8-Nov-2008
African countries will be locked into an economic model based on the export of raw materials that could have a devastating impact on forests and wildlife, if new EU trade deals shaped by former trade commissioner Peter Mandelson are signed - according to a new report published by Friends of the Earth today (Monday 20 October 2008).
8-Nov-2008
The ongoing political crisis in Thailand is putting question marks on whether the India-Asean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be signed by the year-end.
7-Nov-2008
Two senior politicians with unique insights into New Zealand’s relationship with the United States are both hopeful the election of Barack Obama as President will not hurt the chances of a potentially lucrative trade deal.
7-Nov-2008
Last month, captains of industry from India, Brazil and SA (Ibsa) descended on the Indian capital for the third summit of the Ibsa Trilateral Business Council.
7-Nov-2008
An interesting new report on the trade and investment deals currently being negotiated between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries reiterates the need to revisit the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
7-Nov-2008
The Joint Study Group (JSG) of Pakistan and Japan will hold second round of talks here from Monday to examine and finalize various recommendations including Free Trade Agreement, Special Economic Zone and other areas of cooperation between the two countries, said a senior official at Pakistan Embassy here Friday.
7-Nov-2008
US business leaders are urging President-elect Barack Obama to withdraw his opposition to free trade agreements. Obama has opposed bilateral FTAs without market protection measures and has asked for improvements in the labor practices of partner countries.
7-Nov-2008
Institutional development is considered important in empowering the Southern African Customs Union’s (Sacu’s) secretariat to play a significant role in regional policy development and the associated policy-making structures.
7-Nov-2008
European carmakers have attacked a proposed trade agreement with South Korea, claiming that it is lopsided and sacrifices their interests for the benefit of Europe’s services industries.
7-Nov-2008
Foreign Ministers from all 43 states of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, known as the Barcelona Process, met in Marseille on Monday and Tuesday to endorse plans for the mandate, structure and institutional governance of the process. The initiative, launched at the Paris Summit in July, aims at injecting a renewed political momentum into the EU’s relations with the Mediterranean states through the reinforcement of shared ownership and the achievement of wider visibility through a far-reaching program of projects.
7-Nov-2008
Seven Sadc member countries met in Lilongwe on Tuesday to strategise on creating a regional platform for informal cross border traders who would work to ensure that trade integration in southern Africa benefits poor people at regional level.
6-Nov-2008
The figures are undoubtedly impressive. A total combined gross domestic product (GDP) in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms of more than $5,28- trillion, or 8% of the total global PPP GDP of over $65,6-trillion. A total population of more than 1,39-billion people, or just under 21% of the global population of more than 6,7-billion. These numbers show the combined weight of India, Brazil and South Africa (Ibsa), the three member countries of the Ibsa Dialogue Forum.
6-Nov-2008
Malaysia is looking forward to resuming the stalled Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with the incoming US administration.
