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Philippines seeks sector-specific FTA with US
22-Sep-2005 Manila Bulletin
The Philippine government is pushing for a sector specific free trade agreement (FTA) with the US starting off with the garments sector to immediately take advantage of a duty-free privilege for garment exports and strengthen its presence in the US, the country’s biggest garment market.
Talks between US, Andean countries in final stretch
22-Sep-2005 IPS
Trade negotiators and officials in Colombia, where the 12th round of negotiations of a free trade agreement between the United States and Colombia, Peru and Ecuador is taking place Monday through Friday, say the talks are moving ahead smoothly.
US responsive to Thai concerns
22-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
US congressmen have pledged to accommodate Thailand’s concerns about drug prices and freer mobility for Thais into the United States once the two countries conclude their free trade area (FTA) agreement.
Not all share PM’s wish for fast FTA
22-Sep-2005 The Nation
Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya said yesterday that the Thai-US free-trade agreement (FTA) would be difficult to hurry as Thai bankers are concerned about competing with their sophisticated counterparts in the field of e-banking. “I can’t say when the deal could be concluded because both sides still use absolutely different approaches,” Thanong said.
AMCHAM urges Seoul to start FTA talks soon
21-Sep-2005 Korea Times
The US business community in Korea Wednesday expressed its collective hope to launch free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. within this year, noting increasing interest in forming such a trade pact among US policymakers.
Leaders agree to conclude US-Thai FTA in 2006
21-Sep-2005 Asia Pulse
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and US President George W Bush agreed Monday to make vigorous efforts to reach a conclusion on the US-Thai Free Trade Agreement (FTA) next year, the leaders said in a joint statement.
US presses S. Korea on issues blocking FTA negotiations
21-Sep-2005 Yonhap
The US Trade Representative (USTR), raising doubts about South Korea’s commitment to a bilateral free trade agreement, pressed the Asian trading partner Tuesday to be "unambiguous" in supporting it.
Andean countries, US start 12th round of talks on FTA
20-Sep-2005 Xinhua
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the United States on Monday began the 12th round of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), in an effort to put a deal in effect in 2006.
Thai farmers head to the US
20-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
As senior bureaucrats from Thailand and the US prepare to enter the fifth round of negotiations over the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Hawaii later this month, two Thai organic farmers have started their own campaign in the US. Phakpum Inpaen and Kanya Onsri from Surin province left Thailand yesterday on a 23-day circuit tour to talk to people in the US about how the FTA deal will threaten their survival.
RP-US FTA: A skewed deal in the making
18-Sep-2005 IBON
The Philippines cannot hope for a “mutually-beneficial” relationship with the US through a free trade agreement founded on the US neocolonial agenda.
Made for the USA
16-Sep-2005 Business Today
Nine months into the first experiment in free trade with the United States, few participating manufacturers have reported a jump in production - most haven’t shipped unit one.
US FTA seen as threat to Thai identity
14-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
The free trade agreement with the United States threatens Thailand’s ecological biodiversity and cultural uniqueness, researchers warned yesterday. Visut Baimai, director of the Biodiversity Research and Training Programme, said he feared the FTA would accelerate deforestation to grow profitable single-crop plantations. This, he said, could undermine both the ecosystem and sustainable economic development.
Govt urged to seek consensus before signing FTA with US
14-Sep-2005 MCOT
The Thai government should seek a consensus from the public before signing a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the United States, according to a leading academic.
The fleeting charm of free trade
13-Sep-2005 The Star
The signs are scattered and tentative. But it’s beginning to look as if American-style free trade is going out of style.
US and Saudi Arabia conclude bilateral WTO accession agreement
12-Sep-2005
US Trade Representative Rob Portman today announced that the United States and Saudi Arabia have concluded bilateral negotiations on issues related to Saudi Arabia’s World Trade Organization accession.
Aggressive response suggested to US push
10-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
Thailand should be more aggressive in its response to the US push for environmental and labour protection under the bilateral free trade area (FTA) agreement, a seminar sponsored by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) was told.
Thai specialists in US for FTA technical talks
10-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
On liberalising services and investment, Thailand insists on adopting a "positive list" approach, where only those sectors explicitly outlined in the agreement would be opened. The US insists on a "negative list", under which all sectors are on the table except those listed as sensitive.
US mulling free-trade deals with Egypt, South Korea, Malaysia
9-Sep-2005 Bloomberg
The Bush administration said it’s considering separate entreaties from Egypt, Malaysia, South Korea and Switzerland to negotiate free-trade agreements with them.
Garment makers optimistic on liberalisation
8-Sep-2005
DUBAI’S textile and garments market is one of the largest and strongest markets in the region. In 2004, Dubai’s direct exports of the products reached Dh625 million, or 13 per cent of Dubai’s direct exports, while re-exports reached Dh6 billion; leading to a total share of 10 per cent to the total value of goods Dubai directly supplied to the rest of the world.
Conditions ripe for Korea-US FTA
8-Sep-2005
Brisk discussions are underway regarding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Korea and the United States in both official and non-official ways.