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Opposition DP opposes ratification of FTA with US
9-Nov-2010 Korea Times
Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party voiced strong opposition Tuesday to the government’s move to revise the text of a free trade agreement signed between Korea and the United States in 2007 to ease environmental standards for American-made automobiles.
India favours trade-opening pact with US
9-Nov-2010 PTI
Enthused by the success of US President Barack Obama’s visit, India on Tuesday said it is time to “seriously consider” a trade-opening agreement with America, similar to the ones entered with the ASEAN and South Korea.
S Korea, US to hold further talks to resolve pending FTA issues
9-Nov-2010 Yonhap
Top trade officials from South Korea and the United States will hold further talks on Wednesday as the countries are struggling to resolve outstanding issues that have stalled the ratification of their free trade agreement signed more than three years ago, a Seoul trade official said.
Mexico, Brazil launch talks toward bilateral trade deal
9-Nov-2010 Reuters
Brazil and Mexico said on Monday they would start talks toward a bilateral trade deal in a bid to draw Latin America’s top two economies closer together.
Top APEC officials lay groundwork for regional FTA
9-Nov-2010 Japan Times
Senior regional officials concluded their meeting Monday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama with a decision to pursue a regionwide free-trade zone.
Gov’t pressed to start free trade talks with European Union
9-Nov-2010 BusinessWorld
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday renewed calls for the government to start negotiating a free trade deal with the European Union, after noting that more Southeast Asian neighbors have begun talks with the Western bloc.
Fiji stops Pacific sugar exports to meet EU quota
9-Nov-2010 Radio Fiji
Fiji has ceased exporting sugar to the Pacific region in order to meet its export quota to the UK (meaning Tate & Lyle) under preferential prices of the Economic Partnership Agreement.
In depth: EU deal threatens HIV drug supplies
8-Nov-2010 Al Jazeera
How a trade deal being brokered between Europe and India could cut off the developing world’s supply of cheap medicines. Al Jazeera reports.
APEC debates becoming body that can forge FTA
8-Nov-2010 AP
Pacific Rim economies are debating whether to change the informal Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum so that it can negotiate the creation of a Pacific-wide free trade zone.
Thousands protest in Seoul before G20 summit
8-Nov-2010 Reuters
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Seoul on Sunday in a largely peaceful protest against this week’s G20 summit as the city went on heightened alert for the meeting of world leaders.
Protesters call for end to APEC meets
8-Nov-2010 Japan Times
"Japan is talking about a free-trade agreement for the Asia-Pacific region. But for Asian laborers, realization of this goal will mean increased unemployment or the shedding of full-time employees in favor of contract workers and the lowering of wages and salaries," union representatives say
Washington to push Seoul on bilateral deal
8-Nov-2010 FT
This week’s talks are likely to try to come up with a side letter about the car market rather than attempt to re­open fundamentally the draft deal, a course of action to which Seoul is vehemently opposed.
Jane Kelsey: Trading sovereignty for short-term advantage
8-Nov-2010 NZ Herald
The TPPA would impose the most far-reaching obligations on New Zealand since the Closer Economic Relations agreement with Australia, deepening our commitment to free market policies that affect our jobs, our social and cultural well-being, and ultimately the sovereignty to make decisions as a nation.
Obama’s trip to India: Don’t rush into a bilateral investment treaty
7-Nov-2010 FPIF
The negotiations over a US-India bilaterals investment treaty were begun by the Bush administration. Obama officials have said they won’t complete the deal until they finish up a review of the US model BIT.
Farmers take Japan’s place at TPP bargaining table
7-Nov-2010 Japan Times
The Japanese government did not clearly state its stance in the basic FTA policy it set out Saturday and only stipulated that it will start approaching the countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.
Ford slams South Korea trade deal as Obama officials renew talks in Seoul
5-Nov-2010 The Hill
Ford, the US car company, has launched an aggressive advertising campaign against the South Korea free trade agreement, which it argues would lock in unfair trade between the countries.
Potash decision unlikely to hurt Canada-EU trade talks
5-Nov-2010 Montreal Gazette
The Canadian government’s rejection of the Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. takeover is raising European eyebrows but isn’t expected to dampen the prospects of a Canada-European Union free trade deal, say observers.
Q+A: Japan has headache over US-led free trade deal
5-Nov-2010 Reuters
Japan is having trouble forging a consensus on joining an Asia-Pacific free trade initiative, a pact that business lobbies want the government to pursue but that long-protected and politically powerful farmers are resisting.
RI, Australia to start talks on economic partnership
4-Nov-2010 Jakarta Post
Indonesia and Australia have agreed to begin negotiations to create a framework for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) to further enhance trade and investment exchanges between both countries.
APEC to refer to Pacific FTA as pathway to free trade area: draft
4-Nov-2010 Mainichi
At the annual APEC summit meeting in Yokohama on Nov. 13 and 14, the 21-member forum is planning to specify for the first time in its declaration the possible efforts to realize the long-term goal of creating a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific.