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Asia & Pacific

Bilateral deal-making involving governments of Asia and the Pacific region.


APEC eyes merging trade pacts in region to create APEC-wide FTA
Pacific Rim leaders are expected at their summit next month to consider combining existing bilateral and regional free trade agreements in the region as a way of creating a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, according to a draft report of policy recommendations to the leaders.
ASEAN stops new intra-reg’l FTAs
ASEAN countries have agreed to a moratorium on forging intra-regional free trade agreements saying they would have to focus first on the completion of FTA negotiations with China, Japan, Korea, and the Australia-New Zealand.
ASEAN hype
The press releases churned out about the 40th Ministerial Meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) last week give the impression that ASEAN is well on the way to becoming a formidable economic bloc and a force to reckon with in the geopolitical landscape. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Pacific free trade idea is misguided
A free trade agreement covering the Pacific region is unlikely to be worth the paper it is written on as far as Papua New Guinea is concerned.
ASEAN urged to make progress on trade deals with China, SKorea, Japan
Southeast Asia must ratify free trade deals with China and South Korea and make progress on a similar accord with Japan, as the region prepares its own free-trade zone, the Philippine government said Monday.
Free trade pact with US is unlikely, Asean official says
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations probably will not reach a free trade agreement with the United States, Secretary General Ong Keng Yong said Monday in Singapore.
US downplays trade deal with ASEAN
The United States is not ruling out a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Southeast Asia but it is too early to discuss the issue, Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in remarks published Monday.
Free trade agreement with EU possible only after Azerbaijan’s WTO accession, deputy foreign minister says
“There are common factors in Azerbaijan’s integration into Europe and accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO),” Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told journalists, APA reports. He said that European Union approves the idea of Azerbaijan’s WTO membership.
APRN strategy workshop on FTAs
The Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN) and AID/WATCH are pleased to invite you to a strategy workshop on the FTAs entitled: “To Oppose FTAs: Making People Matter”, that will take place on September 4-6, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The Strategy Workshop on the FTAs is an open and public gathering of trade campaigners within the region specifically timed to coincide with the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Sydney.
Goff moots idea of regional free trade deal
Trade minister Phil Goff has floated the prospect of a regional free trade deal comprising the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Brunei and South Korea.

    Links


  • ABAC
    APEC Business Advisory Council is pushing for an FTA among APEC members
  • ASEAN Briefing
    ASEAN Briefing is a platform dedicated to the various and increasing number of trade treaties and agreements throughout the ASEAN region, produced by tax and legal professionals Dezan Shira & Associates.
  • Asia Regional Integration Center
    Database of bilateral and plurilateral FTAs with at least one of Asian Development Bank’s 48 regional members as signatory.
  • Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA
    An Australian government webpage on the Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA negotiations, agreed to end 2004 and begun early 2005.
  • Macau-China FTA
    Official website on the Macau-China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement
  • PANG
    The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) plays the role of the Pacific regional “peoples’ watchdog on trade issues”.