EFTA
While often overlooked, the European Free Trade Association — composed of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — actively seeks comprehensive bilateral FTAs much like its rivals the EU, the US, Japan, Canada or Australia. EFTA’s outward push towards FTAs is led and dominated by corporate powerhouse Switzerland, home to some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology, banking and insurance companies.
EFTA has established important bilateral FTAs with Chile (2003), Israel (1992), Jordan (2001), Korea (2005), Lebanon (2004), Mexico (2000), Morocco (1997), the Palestinian Authority (1998), Turkey (1991), Singapore (2002), Tunisia (2004), the Southern Africa Customs Union (2006), Egypt (2007), Canada (2007), the GCC (2008), Colombia (2008) and Peru (2008).
The group is currently negotiating FTAs with India, Indonesia, Thailand, Algeria and Pakistan. It is expected to launch talks shortly with Malaysia and Vietnam, while similar deals with Russia and Ukraine are planned for later.
last update: May 2012
The Swiss Federal Council stated on several occasions that it did not consider its free trade agreement with Morocco to apply to the large part of Western Sahara that is under Moroccan occupation.
Sign-on the letter for organisations.
The plenary session of the Assembly will process the agreement between Ecuador and the European Free Trade Association, after having the Constitutional Court approved it.
The Swiss parliament ratified a Free Trade Agreement between the European Free Trade Association and Indonesia, allegedly without addressing the environmental concerns regarding Indonesian palm oil production.
The Swiss government has delayed fully signing off on the expanded free-trade deal between EFTA and Turkey amid concern about human rights abuses.
Concessions in the agricultural sector went too far. In the area of beef the Swiss had made more concessions than their EU counterparts, says Swiss Farmers’ Union.
Norway and its fellow members of the European Free Trade Association have entered into a free trade agreement with Brazil and several other South American countries.
With some chapters of the free trade agreement already concluded, the working groups convening this round included trade in goods and in services, investment, intellectual property.
Swiss Economics Minister has re-started negotiations with Malaysia over a proposed FTA. Talks had previously broken down over the contentious topic of palm oil.
CSOs stress that the EFTA-Indonesia trade deal must not include any obligation that requires Indonesia to join or implement the UPOV 1991
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EFTA FTAs
Database of all FTAs entered into by the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.) -
EFTA Secretariat
Website of the EFTA Secretariat
