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Wikileaks: Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP)
15-Jan-2014 Wikileaks
Today, 15 January 2014, WikiLeaks released the secret draft text for the entire TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Environment Chapter and the corresponding Chairs’ Report. The TPP transnational legal regime would cover 12 countries initially and encompass 40 per cent of global GDP and one-third of world trade.
French senators strongly attack EU-US trade deal
14-Jan-2014 Euractiv
During a debate in the French Senate, all political parties harshly criticised the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), but the French government defended the potential deal.
Philip Morris, Australia and the fate of Europe’s trade talks
13-Jan-2014 Inside Story
Australia’s clash with Philip Morris over plain packaging has disrupted trade talks between the United States and Europe, reports James Panichi in Brussels
Seoul affirms interest in joining TPP, but says China deal comes first
13-Jan-2014 Wall St Journal
South Korea’s Trade Ministry made clear Monday that the country will prioritize bilateral free trade negotiations with China this year over the multilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership
La Via Campesina appelle à la cohérence des politiques agricoles de l’Union européenne
13-Jan-2014 La Via Campesina
La Via Campesina rappelle les liens très forts entre l’agriculture familiale et les accords de libre échange : l’un et l’autre sont en parfaite contradiction, alors que les défis sociaux et environnementaux qui sont ceux de notre temps doivent pris au sérieux.
Recipe for ruin: TTIP - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
12-Jan-2014 Think Left
John Hilary, Executive Director of War on Want, introduces TTIP, the free trade and investment agreement being negotiated between the EU and USA; talk given to Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique at Café Diplo, London, 4 November 2013
US lawmakers propose fast-track bill for trade agreements
10-Jan-2014 Reuters
US lawmakers on Thursday proposed a bill to give the White House power to fast-track international trade agreements as the United States gears up for a hectic year of trade negotiations.
US drafts Ukraine sanctions, as EU mulls new talks
10-Jan-2014 EU Observer
The US state department has been remodelled to fit the EU’s so-called Eastern Partnership policy on pulling former Soviet republics closer to the West amid Russia’s new assertiveness in the region
Korea and Myanmar sign investment guarantee treaty
9-Jan-2014 Korea IT Times
The governments of Myanmar and Korea have signed an investment guarantee agreement to protect companies like POSCO and Daewoo International operating in Burma.
Protecting foreign investments in Sub-Saharan Africa: The SADC and its protocol on finance and investment
9-Jan-2014 Mondaq
The SADC protocol on investment provides rights to investors, including investor-state dispute settlement provisions, in southern Africa no matter what country they hail from. Thus, it goes way beyond typical bilateral investment treaties (BITs) while protecting foreign companies operating in SADC countries without BIT coverage.
PHL sets sights on inclusive growth from free trade deals
8-Jan-2014
The government will put more teeth on initiatives, including education drives and linking small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to trade chains, to make free trade agreement (FTA) benefits trickle down to the grassroots, an official said Tuesday night.
Second largest SAARC partner hungry for Lankan exports, FTA trade
8-Jan-2014
Sri Lanka’s second largest trade partner in SAARC, Pakistan, is hungry for more Lankan exports in the coming year-while also closely looking at Sri Lanka’s sugar sector for entry.
DTI to give more lectures on FTAs
8-Jan-2014
To boost the country’s use rate of free trade agreements, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to give more lectures on FTAs the Philippines is party to and tap social media to expand the program’s reach.
South Korea seeks upgrade of FTA with India
8-Jan-2014
South Korea is likely to press India for an upgrade of the bilateral free trade pact when finance ministers of the two countries meet on Wednesday, arguing that its rival Japan was offered a better deal. However, India is unlikely to immediately revise the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2009, an official told ET.
Australians to Canadians: Beware TPP economic fallout
8-Jan-2014 rabble.ca
Over 125,000 people have spoken out about the damaging Internet censorship proposals in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now, our friends in Australia are sounding the alarm about how the TPP could wreak havoc on Canada’s economy.
VN seeks Walmart support in TPP talks
8-Jan-2014 Vienam Net
Viet Nam hopes to have the support of major US retail corporation Walmart in the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations as well as free trade pacts with other countries, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh said yesterday, Jan 7.
Peru opens free trade agreement talks with Armenia
8-Jan-2014 Agencia Andina
Peru’s Foreign Minister and her Armenian counterpart met in Lima on Monday to discuss the prospect of a free trade agreement between the two countries. Armenia will soon join the Russian-led Customs Union, which aims to become Eurasia’s economic union modeled after the EU by 2015.
Explaining ISDS
8-Jan-2014 FTA Watch
A five-minute video from FTA Watch (Thailand)
FIAN launches international action: TTIP and TPP void
8-Jan-2014 FIAN
FIAN International launched an action letter addressing the EU, USA and a number of countries negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) asking civil society networks, organizations and people interested in supporting the campaign to circulate, sign and send the letter to their local authorities
Japan, Turkey agree on trade, nuclear power tie-ups
8-Jan-2014 Hürriyet Daily News
Japan and Turkey agreed on Jan. 7 to begin talks on an economic partnership agreement, part of a drive to build closer ties as they also step up cooperation on nuclear technology.