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bilateralism & multilateralism

US offers Canberra a Doha fallback over trade
28-Jun-2007
Australia could be invited to join the North American Free Trade Agreement as part of a strategy among Asia-Pacific nations to deal with the collapse of world trade talks.
The great spaghetti tangle
27-Jun-2007
The World Trade Organization (WTO) lays down parameters for the conduct of international trade among its 150 member countries. The basic objective, as stated more than implemented, is to provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, rule-based multilateral trade environment.
The changing landscape of regional trade agreements: 2006 update
17-Jun-2007
An update (to end 2006) of WTO’s discussion paper on RTAs/FTAs
Latin nations bemoan China trade
12-Jun-2007
It is billed as a "competitiveness" forum bringing business and government officials from across the Western Hemisphere to Atlanta with the goal of boosting trade, investment and livelihoods for the region’s 800 million citizens.
Canada needs more trade deals
11-Jun-2007
Free trade with Iceland and Liechtenstein is not exactly a hot political topic in Canada. But last week, Canada announced a deal with those two little countries along with Norway and Sweden - together they refer to themselves, rather grandly, as the European Free Trade Association. It’s not much, but it’s more than this country has accomplished in the trade arena is some time. Trade Minister David Emerson says there’s more to come, to which Canadian exporters and consumers can only say: "It’s about time."
“Trade with Mexico is a big opportunity for India”
28-May-2007 Financial Express
Mexican minister of economy Eduardo Sojo says Indian companies should use Mexico, through its 44 FTAs, as a gateway to enter the US and the Latin American market.
Arroyo: Stalled Doha talks drive East Asia integration
25-May-2007 PDI
The stalled Doha round of talks of the World Trade Organization is what is driving the process of integration in East Asia, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Thursday.
Important challenges face Asian FTAs
17-May-2007 Ohmynews
Asian economic regionalism, driven by active FTAs, reached a decisive point recently as China, South Korea, Japan and ASEAN countries compromised on the plan for financial reserves to put the possible financial crisis under control.
’New trade policy for America’
11-May-2007 House and Ways Committee
The agreement announced today is a fundamental shift in US trade policy and clears the way for broad, bipartisan congressional support for the Peru and Panama FTAs.
Trade policy in Asia: where next with a crippled WTO and weak FTAs?
10-May-2007 ECIPE
Trade policy in Asia is dangerously unbalanced. It rests on a shaky leg of discriminatory bilateral and regional FTAs. Its other WTO leg has gone to sleep: most Asian countries have neglected the WTO in favour of FTAs. Its regional-cooperation arm is limp: grand visions for regional economic integration are mostly empty conference chatter.
Efta continues to extend its influence
10-May-2007 swissinfo
While world trade talks remain deadlocked, the European Free Trade Association (Efta), of which Switzerland is a member, continues to extend its network of free trade accords.
EU promises seeks to design bilateral trade deals that support future WTO-type pact
8-May-2007 IHT
The European Union will aim to design bilateral trade deals with other regions and countries that can be applied to a future world trade agreement even if last-ditch efforts to forge a global pact fail later this year, an EU trade official said Tuesday.
US and China tug at ASEAN unity
8-May-2007 Asia Times
ASEAN is being fragmented by intensifying US-China competition for regional influence, which is putting a premium on bilateralism with the big powers at the expense of ASEAN’s ambition toward more regional multilateralism.
FTA is the path to survival: says a Chilean diplomat
7-May-2007 Donga
“Multilateral trade agreements require much patience and involve complicated processes. If trade determines the survival of your country, you need to be more active in shaping bilateral or multilateral trade frames,” said Chile’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren during a two-day visit to Seoul.
Challenging corporate investor rule
4-May-2007 IPS
How the World Bank’s investment court, free trade agreements, and bilateral investment treaties have unleashed a new era of corporate power and what to do about tt
Exclusive US agreements unfair advantage, Emerson says
3-May-2007
Canadian exporters are facing discrimination in Latin America and elsewhere because of exclusive trade pacts the United States has with those countries, Trade Minister David Emerson has complained.
Global trade talks stall as free trade agreements grow in Asia
3-May-2007 VOA
As the latest World Trade Organization round of talks loses momentum, bilateral and regional free trade agreements are mushrooming in Asia.
FTAs now substitute for multilateral talks
29-Apr-2007
I had the opportunity to present a working paper at the 7th Forum for Democracy, Development and Free Trade held at the Qatari capital of Doha last week.
Opinion: Japan’s aid policy in dire need of revamp
28-Apr-2007
The second largest economy in the world is in the midst of change and one crucial area it needs to look is its official development assistance programme.
Free trade agreements come in for criticism
25-Apr-2007
Bahrain yesterday said it was a “shame” to allow agricultural issues to upstage the WTO negotiations, while Iran held that the increasing free trade pacts have undermined inter-regional dialogues and called for a regional economic and security council.