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FTA best trade option for Korea, US: Further delay in talks may jeopardize bilateral relationship
26-Oct-2005 Korea Times
An influential official of the US business community says the US could put aside Korea as a trade partner for free trade agreement (FTA) talks if no progress is made to resolve bilateral trade issues in the next six months.
Colombian Attorney red flags FTA
26-Oct-2005 Prensa Latina
Attorney General Edgardo Maya admonished the government Tuesday that an ill-fated signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US would result in negative effects for Colombia.
Ecuador hesitant over FTA with US
25-Oct-2005 Prensa Latina
Chief Ecuadorian negotiator for the Free Trade Treaty with the US, Manuel Chiriboga, affirmed in a press conference Monday that the next negotiation round will determine whether or not it goes into effect in November.
FTA negotiators fear financial sector liberalisation could trigger capital outflow
25-Oct-2005 MCOT
Dr. Narongchai Akraseranee, chairman of the Working Group on FTA Negotiations, reaffirms that Thailand will not speed up the opening of its financial sector because domestic players are not ready for such competition. The Working Group is also concerned about possible capital outflows once liberalisation frees up deposit transactions.
NZ-US relations: the factors that bind us
25-Oct-2005 stuff
A US-New Zealand FTA remains the ultimate prize.
Snag hit on services: Bilateral FTA talks now at halfway point
24-Oct-2005 Bangkok Post
Thailand is unlikely to gain much benefit from service sector liberalisation in a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the United States, a Thai trade negotiator says as the talks reach their halfway point.
As the TNCs catch you: An analysis of the liberalization of biotechnological products in the Thai-US FTA
21-Oct-2005 APRN
One of the books the Thai Prime Minister suggested his cabinet members read was “As the Future Catches You” by Juan Enriquez, a Mexican writer. The book’s contents relate to the fact that countries need to catch up with the development of biotechnology. Otherwise they will be alienated and left behind.
American Chamber warns of urgent measures prior to Free Trade
21-Oct-2005 Dominican Today
The American Chamber of Commerce yesterday submitted to both chambers of Congress a number of administrative and legislative measures that the country should adopt, within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Central America (DR-CAFTA), while warning that all imported products must be treated with the same guidelines as local goods.
General Motors applauds successful US-Oman Free Trade Agreement
21-Oct-2005 AME Info
General Motors, the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, applauds the successful conclusion of negotiations to create a US-Oman Free Trade Agreement.
Screen quota defenders rally for Unesco draft
20-Oct-2005 JoongAng Daily
The long-running dispute over Korea’s screen quota system is moving onto new ground: the quota’s supporters are rallying around the final draft of a Unesco convention that would exclude the cultural industries in all of the organization’s member states from free trade agreements or World Trade Organization bylaws.
Romanian lawyers won an USD 353m international arbitration case against an US investor
19-Oct-2005
Romania has won at the International Court of Arbitration in Washington, the case brought by the American company Noble Ventures that contested the Romanian state actions in the privatization process of Resita Steel Plant (CSR).
Bush notifies Congress of intent to sign FTA with Oman
18-Oct-2005 White House
"Entering into an FTA with Oman will build on the FTAs that we already have with Israel, Jordan, and Morocco, as well as the FTA that we have concluded with Bahrain, and will be an important step on the path to fulfilling my vision of developing economic growth and democracy in the Middle East and creating a US Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA) by 2013."
An eye for an eye? Disregarding fairness, disconnecting from the FTAA
18-Oct-2005 COHA
Latin American countries have rightly learned to be apprehensive over the domination of the United States, and it is this reluctance that is behind their slowdown over the FTAA.
Finance liberalisation: Cabinet baulks on alien law changes
18-Oct-2005 The Nation
Thai Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said yesterday that proposed amendments to the Alien Business Act would not be presented to the Cabinet today, apparently because of growing public resentment about further opening up the country to foreign investors.
Trade accord with US
17-Oct-2005 Korea Herald
Security has been so dominant in the past in Seoul’s relations with Washington, its sole military ally, that other crucial agenda items have often failed to draw adequate attention from top South Korean policymakers.
’Negative list’ approach seen for US talks
13-Oct-2005 Bangkok Post
Thai negotiators could ultimately be forced to accept a "negative list" approach in negotiating the Thailand-US free trade area agreement, according to Pongpanu Svetarunvra, deputy director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office. Under a negative list approach, all sectors and services will be liberalised except for those explicitly stated in the agreement.
Andean trade pact: anything but popular
13-Oct-2005 anarkismo.net
Tens of thousands are in the streets of the main cities of Colombia today protesting a proposed free trade pact with the United States and accusing President Alvaro Uribe of selling out the country.
S. Korean envoy to US pledges efforts for FTA
13-Oct-2005 Korea Times
Seoul and Washington need to begin talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) as soon as possible, Lee Tae-sik, South Korea’s new ambassador to the United States, said in Seoul Wednesday.
Bahrain MPs, govt clash over Israel trade plans
12-Oct-2005 Khaleej Times
Bahrain’s parliament yesterday rejected a decision by the government to lift a ban on Israeli goods as part of a trade deal with the United States.
War support could win US contracts
12-Oct-2005 AAP
Australia’s support of the US in Iraq could help local companies crack the huge US government contract market, an American consultant on the US-Australia FTA says.