- Negotiations
The government of South Korea has concluded, or is pursuing negotiations for, a number of bilateral free trade and investment agreements. Korean social movements have been mobilizing in opposition to these ever since the Korea-Chile FTA was proposed. So far, South Korea has signed deals with Chile (2004), EFTA (2004), Singapore (2005), ASEAN (2007) the US (2007, ratified in 2011), Peru (2011) and Turkey (2012). Talks are under way with Canada, China, Mexico, India, the EU and, technically speaking, Japan. Negotiations with Colombia have stalled over Colombia’s demands for access for better terms for its fruit and flower exports than what Korea gives Chile and Peru. Seoul is also looking to open discussions with Mercosur, Malaysia, Mexico and possibly Israel.
last update: May 2012
Photo: Joe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0
11-Jul-2022
The Korea Herald
South Korea and Ecuador will resume official talks on the formation of a bilateral free trade deal Monday after a six-year hiatus, Seoul’s trade ministry said.
24-Jun-2022
Phnom Penh Post
Phnom Penh has asked Seoul to complete its internal procedures as soon as possible for the bilateral Cambodia-Korea Free Trade Agreement to enter into force, which will stimulate trade between the two countries to “another level”, according to a commerce ministry spokesman.
15-Jun-2022
The Korea Times
Korea seeks stronger presence in the region as tensions between Israel and Arab countries thaw.
14-Jun-2022
Yonhap News Agency
South Korea asked Indonesia to quickly ratify their trade deal as they seek to strengthen cooperation on supply chains and other economic issues.
30-May-2022
The Yucatan Times
The Mexican government is advancing its foreign trade agenda and will also negotiate a trade agreement with Korea because currently, 80% of Korean products enter Mexico without paying tariffs, while Mexican agricultural products pay up to 800% tariffs to enter the Korean market.
10-May-2022
Reuters
South Korea is "positively considering" joining an Indo-Pacific economic pact planned by the United States, a government official said.
28-Apr-2022
Globes
Israel is accelerating efforts to sign free trade agreements with East Asian economic powers and Israel’s vehicle market is likely to benefit from this over the coming months.
28-Apr-2022
Hankyoreh
With the Korean government last year having ratified three conventions, including one prohibiting the use of forced labor, it has now ratified seven of eight core ILO conventions. Meanwhile, the US has ratified only two.
22-Mar-2022
Yonhap
South Korea and Turkey checked the outcome of their free trade agreement that went into effect nine years ago and discussed ways to further deepen trade and investment ties.
3-Mar-2022
The Korea Herald
South Korea and Mexico have agreed to resume negotiations to forge a bilateral free trade agreement 14 years after their suspension.
Links
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KoPA is a coalition of around 50 NGOs, social movement organizations, political parties, peasant organizations and trade unions working, among other things, to stop bilateral and regional free trade agreements and the WTO.
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