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Japan, Mongolia to launch FTA talks
12-Mar-2012
Japan and Mongolia are expected to agree to launch negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement when their leaders meet Monday, as the two countries mark this year the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Africa: Coming Back to Bite
10-Mar-2012
African governments once rushed into signing bilateral investment treaties to encourage FDI. Lawyers are now calling for new models.
Sri Lanka to extend trade partnership with Azerbaijan
10-Mar-2012
The companies from Sri Lanka are seeking for Azerbaijani partners for export development to Azerbaijan, a news report said. Economic Development Ministry of Azerbaijan reports that Sri Lankan companies are ready to supply fruits, spices, fabric and paints to the country.
Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Reveals U.S.’s Unbridled Corporate Agenda
10-Mar-2012
The 11th round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) talks concluded in Melbourne Friday, with member states suggesting the negotiations had made significant progress but civil society groups reiterating concerns that the United States’ corporate demands could undermine social, economic and environmental policies. "We do know that global corporations are pushing hard for the inclusion of provisions that benefit companies, but not necessarily workers and communities," Gerardine Kearney, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), told IPS.
Final EPA agreement this year – EU
10-Mar-2012
The European Union (EU) head of delegation to Namibia said he is hopefull that the drawn out Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) discussions will be finalised during the course of the year.
Toronto’s last-ditch attempt to soften Canada-EU free trade deal
10-Mar-2012
Toronto city council’s decision this week to seek an exemption from any Canada-Europe free trade agreement didn’t get much attention.
Turkey’s steel exporters stress PTA/FTA
10-Mar-2012
Though trade agreements like Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) or Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are yet to be signed Pakistan and Turkey despite the claims from both sides for the last eight or so years, visiting Turkish steel exporters have stressed the need for just such agreement in order to boost bilateral trade.
Colombia to begin FTA talks with Israel
10-Mar-2012
Colombia’s Business, Industry, and Tourism minister has announced the first round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks to be held with Israel next week, said Colombian business newspaper Portfolio, Thursday.
Japan, Canada preparing to start FTA talks: sources
9-Mar-2012
Japan and Canada are preparing to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement and may possibly reach an initial accord by the end of this month on holding the talks, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
Davies says intra-African trade is key to SA growth
7-Mar-2012
Strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations with African countries was a key trade and economic strategy for South Africa, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies told the sixth Africa Economic Forum in Cape Town this week.
Push for free trade requires second thought
7-Mar-2012
Canada is a trading nation, with one-third of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) coming from our exports. Of course, it should come as no surprise that the U.S. and Mexico make up a large proportion of this trade (approximately 76 per cent).
Gov’t starts efforts to frame trade pact
7-Mar-2012
The Trade department has started efforts to frame a trade pact between the European Union and the Philippines, a Cabinet official yesterday said.
On the menu in Taiwan? US beef with a dash of ractopamine
7-Mar-2012 WSJ
Taiwanese officials on Wednesday said they would recommend a conditional lifting of restrictions against U.S. beef that contains a “safe level” of ractopamine, a meat-leanness enhancer used by U.S. cattle raisers, to the legislature.
Govt urged to review Thai-EU pact
7-Mar-2012 Bangkok Post
FTA Watch is urging the Thai government to review a proposed free trade pact with the European Union as they say it ignores public participation in decision-making and denies scrutiny of the negotiations.
US calls for additional FTA measures to ensure transparency in medicine pricing in Korea
7-Mar-2012 Arirang
With just days left before the implementation of the US-Korea free trade agreement Washington is drawing attention to a little publicized area of the trade treaty, the part covering the pricing of medicine in Korea. The US says it wants more transparency; the Korean pharmaceutical industry says it wants to maintain control over pricing domestically.
PHL: Gov’t starts efforts to frame trade pact
7-Mar-2012 BusinessWorld
The trade department has started efforts to frame a trade pact between the European Union and the Philippines, a Cabinet official yesterday said. This comes as Manila firms up discussions with Transpacific Partnership (TPP) members on the Philippines’ eventual entry into the United States-led regional trade deal.
Can Burma re-open Asean free trade talks with EU?
6-Mar-2012 Irrawaddy News
From pariah state to pivotal partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)—that’s the emerging view among many members states who see a liberalizing Burma as holding the key to better access to markets outside the region.
ANALYSIS: Academics lambaste US’ ractopamine safety data
5-Mar-2012 Taipei Times
Local experts in hygiene and veterinary medicine have urged the US to squarely face the challenges posed by the scientific evidence on which it has based its contention that US beef containing the lean meat-enhancing feed additive ractopamine is safe for human consumption, before it presses Taiwan to handle the issue scientifically.
TPP negotiators turn to pharmaceutical reimbursement
5-Mar-2012 Info Justice
Negotiations of the Transpacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) have turned to discussions of the pharmaceutical reimbursement chapter. This issue is highly controversial and represents a very recent shift in US trade policy.
VN, EU push for free trade agreement
5-Mar-2012 VNA
The EU hope negotiations for an FTA with Vietnam will be announced at the EU-ASEAN business summit taking place in Phnom Penh on April 1