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Thailand: Bilateral FTA deals pivotal to govt policy
The initiation of bilateral free-trade agreements with countries all around the world has become one of the foreign policy cornerstones of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s government.
FTA with Thailand opens can of worms for automakers
The Japanese government has urged Thailand to lift tariffs on car imports as part of its efforts to conclude a free trade agreement. At the same time, Japanese automakers, whose affiliated firms take up most of the Thai auto market, are cautious about the FTA because it could cause fierce competition between the same Japanese car models.
Govt cautioned not to rush FTAs
Proponents and opponents of free-trade agreements stood firm Tuesday on their respective positions, while a government adviser warned against completing negotiations in haste.
Singapore and Thailand top lists of completed FTAs
Singapore and Thailand have emerged as the two Asian countries with the highest number of completed free trade agreements (FTA), according to Asia News Network reports.
SPS issues and free trade agreements
While the main US goal on agriculture in many FTA negotiations often is to secure non-SPS related concessions such as lower tariffs, the foreign partners often see the FTA as an opportunity to resolve outstanding SPS issues with the US as well as seek accelerated new market access to the US for their animal and plant products.
Driving a hard bargain: Trade agreements easier said than done
Japan is proving a tough negotiator for countries with their hopes pinned on FTAs.
Agriculture: Thais urged to reject political parties which support bilateral FTAs and GM crops
Thailand’s leading agricultural activist network has urged Thais not to vote for political parties which back free trade agreements and genetically modified (GM) crops research at next February’s general election.
Milking Thailand: The Thai-Australia Free Trade Agreement
In Thailand, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) debates were heated. Farmers and critics claim that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s government sold out small farmers to their own big business interests. They took to the streets in protest while Thaksin lambasted them and obscured negotiation details.
Senate debate begins on Thai FTA deal
Debate has begun in the Senate on laws enabling the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement to take effect from next year.
Singapore -Thailand see need to implement ASEAN free trade earlier
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his visiting Singapore counterpart Lee Hsian Loong have shared the same view that the planned ASEAN trade liberalization should be implemented and achieved earlier than originally set in 2020, according to Government Spokesman Chakraphob Penkair.
The Thai dairy sector under liberalised trade conditions
Special report by Rabobank - PDF file
Japan, Thailand edge toward free-trade deal, without rice
Trade negotiators from Japan and Thailand resumed free-trade talks Monday after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra decided to withdraw rice from the negotiating table.
Free trade talks : Japanese protesters cry fowl
Chicken farmers from Japan have descended on Bangkok this week to lobby for the withdrawal of poultry products from free-trade talks, following the success of Japanese farmers in getting Thailand to drop rice.
PM calls for more public participation in FTA deals
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today reiterated the importance of Thailand forging bilateral economic relations, while pledging to ensure greater public involvement in international trade liberalization deals.
T Shinawatra, Aust partner await FTA
T Shinawatra Thai Silk (Thailand) Co Ltd, a family business of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is negotiating with an Australian fashion designer to form a joint venture that benefits from low import tariffs under the Thai-Australia free-trade agreement.
Japan: FTA talks with 3 nations at crucial stage
Japan’s ongoing negotiations over free trade agreements with Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand are entering a crucial stage.
NCAER slams India-Thailand FTA
Economic think-tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has questioned the usefulness of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which India signed with Thailand.
Peru to review ban on Thai rice imports
Thailand and Peru have edged closer to forming a free trade area (FTA) following discussions between Thai Trade Representative Kantathir Suphamongkhon and Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, in which the Peruvian leader promised to exercise greater trade flexibility with Thailand than with other countries, and to review a ban on the import of Thai rice.
ICC urges Thailand to go multilateral route
The international business community has called on Thailand to abandon its plans for bilateral deals and adopt instead the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) agenda of multilateral cooperation.
Japan: FTA deals deadlocked
Japan’s separate negotiations with Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and South Korea for bilateral free trade agreements have run into a brick wall.