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India to oppose Vodafone’s move to invoke BIPA pact
31-Mar-2012 Economic Times
The Indian government is likely to oppose any move by Vodafone Plc to invoke the India-Netherlands Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) if it is forced to cough up Rs 12,000 crore in taxes on the grounds that the investment was routed through several step down firms based in different countries and that the treaty does not cover tax disputes.
Europe, Singapore in final stages of free trade pact negotiation
30-Mar-2012 Bloomberg
The European Union and Singapore are in the “final stages” of negotiations on a free trade agreement, said Marc Ungeheuer, ambassador and head of the delegation of the EU to the city state.
Voda seeks Netherlands treaty to snub govt, will others follow?
30-Mar-2012 First Post
Fearing the Indian government will use new tax laws to trap it back around Rs 12,000 crore in taxes, the world’s largest mobile operator, Vodafone, may invoke a bilateral investment treaty between India and the Netherlands to avoid doing so.
Kyiv, Brussels to initial Association Agreement
30-Mar-2012 Interfax
Ukraine and the European Union are to initial the Association Agreement on March 30. The negotiation process on the document took five years.
EU-Canada FTA (CETA) Annex 2 - EU offers to Canada (draft Feb 2012)
30-Mar-2012 RCIQ
EU-Canada FTA (CETA) Annex 1 - EU offers to Canada (draft Feb 2012)
30-Mar-2012 RCIQ
2G: Telenor plans to invoke India-Singapore treaty
29-Mar-2012 Economic Times
Norway’s Telenor will seek ’compensation for all investment, guarantees and damages’ if the Indian government fails to sort out issues related to its licence cancellation within the next six months, the company said.
US suspends Argentina from trade preference scheme
29-Mar-2012 ICTSD
Trade frictions are on the rise between Washington and Buenos Aires, after US President Barack Obama announced that the US would be suspending Argentina from its Generalised System of Preferences programme for failure to pay arbitration awards in two disputes involving US investors.
Water wars: Indigenous Ecuadorians vs. corporations
29-Mar-2012 Policymic
Ecuadorian communities learned from the way that Chevron’s operations flouted environmental law in the 1990’s, that once entrusted to foreign businesses their natural resources are usually squandered.
Korea trade deal unlikely to benefit Chrysler, CEO says
29-Mar-2012 The Detroit News
Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne told lawmakers Wednesday he is skeptical of the benefits of some free-trade agreements, and urged caution about proceeding with some new agreements.
‘Malaysia-Australia FTA on track despite Lynas issue’
29-Mar-2012 Borneo Post
The issue of the Lynas rare earth plant will not disrupt the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Malaysia and Australia, said International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
Noda, Monti agree to aim for early launch of Japan-EU FTA talks
29-Mar-2012 Mainichi
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Italian counterpart Mario Monti on Wednesday agreed to aim for the early launch of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union.
The North American Leaders Summit and Reviving Trilateral Integration
27-Mar-2012 Be Your Own Leader
While it is unlikely that the upcoming leaders summit will bring about any grand new plan, it could be used as a starting point to revive the whole trilateral process. With the NAFTA framework still intact, the vision for a North American Union has not been abandoned.
Free trade with Japan will only worsen trade deficit, CAW president says
27-Mar-2012 CAW
Canadian Auto Workers president Ken Lewenza is raising serious objections to the new free trade discussions with Japan, charging that a free trade deal with Japan is unnecessary and would hurt the Canadian economy.
TCI to invoke India-UK treaty against govt
27-Mar-2012 Business Standard
London-based hedge fund, The Children’s Investment Fund (TCI), on Monday said it will initiate legal action against the government under the provisions of the India-UK bilateral investment treaty (BIT).
Korea, Turkey sign tentative FTA
26-Mar-2012
The governments of Korea and Turkey on Monday provisionally signed a bilateral free trade agreement, completing three years of negotiations.
Kenya’s dilemma at EU trade talks
26-Mar-2012
Revelations that Kenyan flowers will be subjected to 16 per cent duty should Kenya fail to ratify Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by June raises concern about their role in boosting trade on the continent.
Obama says to suspend trade benefits for Argentina
26-Mar-2012
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday he was suspending trade benefits for Argentina because of the South American country’s failure to pay more than $300 million in compensation awards in two disputes involving American investors.
Let spirit of give and take prevail in EPAs deadline
26-Mar-2012
After breaking several self-imposed deadlines for concluding a binding trade pact with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the European Commission is turning to legal means to end what is fast becoming a circus.
ACP calls for understanding from Europe
26-Mar-2012
Spirited calls from Parliamentary Members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) have appealed for flexibility, empathy and "practical reason" from European authorities, regarding stalled free trade negotiations with their regions, an ACP statement said.