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Ecuador sends military to seized oil facilities
Ecuadorean President Alfredo Palacio sent troops to guard oil facilities seized from Occidental Petroleum Corp. as they are transferred to state control, officials said Tuesday.
Trade deal to bring harsh competition to Vietnam
Vietnam’s trade deal with the United States — meant to facilitate Vietnam’s accession to the WTO — lowers Hanoi’s tariffs on US industrial and farm products and removes other barriers that block US companies in the telecommunications, retailing, banking, insurance and energy sectors.
Bad blood over FTA
Australia’s monopoly blood processor, CSL, has backed Red Cross calls for a ban on plasma imports and warned against opening up the nation’s supply network to overseas companies.
Korea completes draft for FTA with US
Reducing or scrapping the 40 percent tariff on beef imports will be on the agenda at FTA negotiations with the US scheduled to start on June 5, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Monday, under first drafts Korea and the US have completed.
MTMA optimistic on govt’s free trade agreement with US
The Malaysian Textile Manufacturers Association (MTMA) is optimistic on the International Trade and Industry Ministry’s effort to launch a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States (US).
Honest approach required in Korea-U.S. FTA negotiation
I read an article by Woo Seok-gyun, an official from the Korea Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights (KFHR), regarding the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation on medical care and education. Mr. Woo described the upcoming negotiation as a ’game of truth’ by the government.
S Korean actors to protest FTA with US in Cannes
A group of South Korean movie workers left for France Monday to protest at the Cannes film festival against South Korea’s plan to sign a free trade pact with the United States, representatives of the group said.
Korea, US FTA no longer an option
A free trade agreement with the United States has sparked a heated debate in Korea. The two major labor unions and the nation’s largest environmental group have jointly launched a nationwide campaign against a Korea-US FTA. There are also plenty of pro-FTA supporters.
US FTA: A good opportunity to upgrade Korean economy
Korea and the US officially announced the start of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) three months ago. The two sides are set to begin negotiations this June after gathering opinions from various fields of society.
US invites African ministers to talks on market access
Washington has invited African trade and finance ministers for talks on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) - the US partial free trade regime for imports from Africa.
US-SACU free trade talks hit snags
The latest round of talks between the US and the five-member Southern African Customs Union (SACU) on a free trade agreement has failed to yield fruits, with many blaming the US for seeking to impose a one-size-fits-all formula.
US-Ecuador free trade agreement frozen
Ecuador’s chief trade negotiator, Manuel Chiriboga, admitted that a huge "uncertainty" surrounds the future of the free trade negotiations with United States suspended since the end of March.
US food based firms to use M’sia as Asian hub
Several US-based food producing/processing companies have identified Malaysia a key market in Asia and are considering setting up a physical presence here, said agriculture counsellor of the United States Embassy, Malaysia and Singapore, Jonathan Gressel.
UAE to resist US pressure to open telecoms sector: minister
The United Arab Emirates will resist pressure in free trade talks with the United States to open its telecommunications sector to foreign investors.
Imports of rice at issue in US trade negotiations with Korea
Rice, the staple food for much of Asia, will doubtless be a tough issue in negotiations on a US-South Korea free-trade agreement (FTA) and could be an issue in US-Malaysia FTA talks, US experts say.
Morales urges Latin American countries to kill FTA with US
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales on Thursday urged Colombia, Peru and Ecuador to kill their free trade agreements with the United States, so as to keep the Andean Community alive. Meanwhile, Peru’s President Alejandro Toledo said the Andean Community would now seek to launch trade talks with the EU, with or without Venezuela and Bolivia.
FTA summary to be reported to National Assembly next week
A summary of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to be presented by the Ministry of Finance and Economy to the National Assembly next week, while an exchange of agreement drafts with the US is expected on May 19.
Malaysia not bound to finalise FTA with US by 2007
Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz cited the financial sector as one area that Malaysia cannot open up at a faster pace. She noted that it was the US — not Malaysia — which made the approach on the FTA.
No date set for next round of UAE-US free trade talks
The fifth round of free trade negotiations between the UAE and the United States ended in Abu Dhabi yesterday without agreement. The closely guarded negotiations, held amid a virtual media blackout, centred around two core issues: investment and labour laws.
Colombia postpones signing FTA with US: official
Colombia will postpone signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United State because its English version was inconsistent with the original bilateral pact.