bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

All articles

In whose interest is EU-India FTA being negotiated?
16-May-2013
NGOS, academics, patient groups, humanitarian organisations, trade unions, farmers groups and mass movements, representing hundreds of organisations and networks across the country, asked Mr. Anand Sharma, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, to explain to the nation which sectors and who exactly are benefiting from the FTA that is currently being negotiated with the European Union.
Can FTAs support ‘Factory Asia’?
16-May-2013 VoxEU
Are free trade agreements good for ‘Factory Asia’? This column argues that rather than supporting ‘Factory Asia’, it is more likely that fragmentation trade has prospered despite the noodle bowl of overlapping FTAs in the region.
A treaty too many
14-May-2013 Down to Earth
India is learning that there is a heavy price to be paid for the large number of bilateral investment treaties, or BITs, it has signed in the hope of attracting foreign investment.
FTA with USA has harmed Colombia, Senator says
14-May-2013 Prensa Latina
A year after the free trade agreement with the United States came into effect, the balance for Colombia is negative: we export less and import more, affirmed senator of the Alternative Democratic Pole Party Jorge Enrique Robledo.
Political opposition to EU-India FTA gathers momentum
14-May-2013 TWN
Leaders of the main opposition parties in India came together recently in New Delhi to voice their opposition to the proposed Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement between India and the European Union
Copyright and secrecy don’t make for good trade agreements
14-May-2013 Infojustice
Copyright is an uncomfortable fit for a trade agreement and should be kept out of the United States-European Union Free Trade Agreement.
‘Full, free’ trade agreement can enhance inter-Arab ties
14-May-2013 Gulf Times
The full implementation of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (Gafta) has the potential of achieving greater economic integration, QNB has said in an analysis.
Bahrain hits back at claims over FTA
14-May-2013 Trade Arabia
Bahrain has hit back at accusations it could have breached its Free Trade Agreement with the US as regards workers’ rights.
Israel keen on starting FTA talks with Peru
14-May-2013 Andina
Israel and Peru expect to kick off negotiations on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement before year’s end in order to take advantage of the two economies’ complementariness, Israel’s ambassador to Peru Modi Ephraim said Monday.
EU envoy: US-EU trade pact will be ’game changer’
10-May-2013 Reuters
"We’ve launched this strange animal called TTIP [’tee tip’]," EU Ambassador to the US JoIao Vale de Almeida said. "This is a game-changer. As I like to say, this is the mother of all free trade areas."
Japanese movement against TPP growing
10-May-2013 The Real News Network
Critics of the Trans-Pacific Partnership say it’s an attempt to impose an American system on Japan and would threaten Japanese public healthcare system.
L’OMC a-t-elle encore un avenir ?
10-May-2013 La Tribune
Roberto Azedevo vient d’être choisi pour diriger l’institution à l’heure où les accords bilatéraux ont le vent en poupe. Ce type de contrats va pourtant à l’encontre du principe même de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC). L’institution internationale doit-elle se sentir menacée?
Reko Diq finally abandoned by Canadians, TCC
10-May-2013
Tethyan Copper Company (TCC), a joint venture between Canada’s Barrick Gold and Chilean miner Antofagasta, has given up hope of eventually mining Reko Diq, a disputed but promising copper-gold project in Pakistan’s poorest region, Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday.
Revisit free trade pact mechanism, Acharia tells PM
10-May-2013
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture Basudeb Acharia has urged Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revisit the “entire mechanism” of free trade agreements.
Trade talks? Only business insiders invited
10-May-2013 The Tyee
As the future of the proposed Canada-European Union Trade Agreement becomes increasingly uncertain — the EU has been unwilling to compromise on the remaining contentious issues leaving the Canadian government with a deal that offers limited benefits and significant costs — the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is likely to emerge as the government’s new top trade priority.
’Pakistan needs to review Pak-India trade pact’
10-May-2013
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Harvest Tradings Ahmed Jawad has said that to boost the trade with the neighbouring country the government needed to review the Pak-India trade agreement. Talking to INP here on Sunday, Ahmed Jawad said that there was no other option than enhancing trade to normalise the bilateral political and diplomatic relations with India.
Divide over beef last bridge to cross on road to EU trade pact
10-May-2013
The European Union’s ambassador to Canada said special access for agriculture goods is the last obstacle to a trade deal between Brussels and Ottawa, and drew a line in the sand over how much market access the EU could offer Canadian beef producers.
ASEAN+6 start regional FTA talks
10-May-2013
ASEAN trade officials, along with its six partners, kicked off talks on a regional trade agreement in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on Thursday. The talks began with the establishment of the trade negotiating committee that would discuss various trade and investment issues until next Monday, Trade Ministry director general for international trade cooperation Iman Pambagyo said.
India threatens to stall trade talks with EU
9-May-2013 Business Standard
India is expected to give an ultimatum to the 27-nation bloc on recognising it as a ’data-secure’ country
China raises concerns about EU-US plans for free-trade pact
8-May-2013 Reuters
China has raised concerns about European Union plans to negotiate an ambitious free-trade deal with the United States, fearing it is a protectionist move, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.