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Global bully goes to Guatemala
21-Mar-2005 IP-Health
The global bully, the United States, has just coerced Guatemala, its latest victim, into repealing an important law to lower the price of pharmaceuticals and promote generic competition. The U.S. ambassador to Guatemala acknowledged that the Guatemalan law was intended to advance public health objectives. But, no matter, he said — U.S. commercial interests in the form of Big Pharma demanded that the law go.
No rush in free-trade deal with US - DTI
21-Mar-2005 Manila Bulletin
Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Juan B. Santos said there is no rush in the proposed bilateral free-trade agreement with the US noting the country’s trade with the US is slowly losing steam while gaining markets elsewhere particularly, ASEAN, Japan and Greater China.
Egypt: Privatizing the Cabinet
21-Mar-2005 Business Monthly
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rachid Mohamed Rachid is bringing three decades of private sector experience to his post, taking on the twin challenge of modernizing industry and expanding foreign trade.
American goods likely to become cheaper as Oman proposes FTA
20-Mar-2005
Building on a spree of free-trade deals across the region, Oman is in the process of signing a free-trade agreement with the United States by the end of 2005 or early 2006.
Piracy Threat to China FTA
20-Mar-2005
Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout has warned Chinese officials that intellectual piracy could be a critical block to plans for a free trade agreement, with international agencies estimating that 90 per cent of copyright goods sold in China are counterfeit.
Tifa is contrary to national interest
20-Mar-2005
Bangladesh will lose its right to speak for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) if it signs the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (Tifa) with the United States, economists at a discussion said yesterday.
What’s happening with the FTAA negotiations?
19-Mar-2005 HardBeatNews
By becoming an associate member of Mercosur, Cuba, at least indirectly, may have some influence in how the FTAA is finally formulated.
Malaysia recommended for FTA talks with US
18-Mar-2005
Malaysia is among five countries that the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has recommended that the US administration explore the possibility of negotiating free trade agreements (FTA) with.
Trade, development, cooperation - what future for Africa?
18-Mar-2005
Bi- and multilateral trade relations between external actors and individual African states or regional blocs are becoming ever more decisive. The trade policies of both the USA and the EU are anything but helpful.
US urges Philippines to sign FTA
17-Mar-2005 AFP
US Assistant Trade Representative Barbara Weisel urged the Philippines to sign a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Washington to boost its underperforming economy and keep it globally competitive.
Costa Rica rules out immediate ratification of FTA with US
17-Mar-2005 Xinhua
Costa Rica on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of an immediate ratification of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Central America and the United States due to pressure from economic and social sectors.
Speeding free trade
17-Mar-2005 Oxford Business Group
Washington wants to sign Free Trade Agreements with every country in the Middle East - North Africa region by 2013, to promote economic and political development in line with recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission.
Aussie BitTorrent case to test Aust-US FTA
17-Mar-2005 Zdnet Australia
Warner Music Australia and other record companies are suing ISP Swiftel Communications for copyright infringement for allegedly hosting and maintaining two Internet computer servers and a Web site called Archie’s Hub which deploys the BitTorrent application. The case is the first to test legislation passed to enact the Australian-United States Free Trade Agreement.
Bush taps congressman as US Trade Representative
17-Mar-2005 LA Times
Faced with tough political battles over a controversial trade pact with Central America and rising imports from China, President Bush announced today that he had enlisted a congressional insider and loyal supporter to be his new trade chief.
Oman expects FTA with US by year end
13-Mar-2005 Daily Times
The Sultanate of Oman has expressed hope that the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the USA, for which negotiations are to start on Saturday, would be concluded before the end of this year to give a new edge to Oman’s liberal economy in an era of globlisation.
Guatemala set to quash FTA protests with troops
10-Mar-2005
Protesters blocked access to the legislature to prevent a vote on a trade pact with Washington, and lawmakers who ventured outside were chased for blocks.
Gulf Emirate says there are no political strings attached to free trade talks with Washington
8-Mar-2005 Middle East Online
The United Arab Emirates said on Monday it was not committing itself to any changes in foreign policy by entering into talks on a free trade pact with the United States. The statement followed reports that Washington would ask Abu Dhabi to drop a trade boycott of Israel during the negotiations, which kick off here on Tuesday.
Drug deal gone bad
8-Mar-2005 Al-Ahram
A group of US companies, represented by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), has expressed concern regarding approval by the Egyptian Ministry of Health for some 500 generic versions of patented drugs.
US sets conditions for normal trade ties with Pakistan
6-Mar-2005 Business Recorder
The United States has conveyed to Pakistan that trade relations could not be normalised prior to crackdown on the violators of Intellectual Property Rights and withdrawal of case against a US-based company, Slemens-Westinghouse.
All alone
5-Mar-2005 Cairo Magazine
The 14 February assassination of Al Hariri may strip away the last of Syria’s European patrons, leaving it at the mercy of Bush’s agenda in the region. There is talk that EU parliamentary approvals of Syria’s association agreement are now on hold.