Serious concerns have been raised about both the lack of transparency in the negotiation process and the potential long-term consequences of the agreements.
Corporate encroachment is increasingly disguised as legal protection. Under laws that allegedly safeguard seeds, doors are opened for their registration, certification, or privatisation.
A caravan of peasant farmers and ranchers with their tractors left from different parts of the province of Bizkaia in Bilbao (Spain) to Bilbao to express their rejection of the free trade policies being promoted by the European Union.
A joint statement that came out of last week’s EU-Morocco Association Council asks readers to believe in a fiction: that an undefined autonomy plan imposed by an occupying power can satisfy the right to self-determination, and that respect for international law can coexist with the systematic ignoring of the EU’s own highest court.
The Trump administration released a new “Agreement on Reciprocal Trade” with Guatemala, following the nearly identical one released yesterday with El Salvador.
The shift in globalisation is not just a bump in the road. It signals a deep transformation of the world economy, its political balances and its power relations.
Israel and India are moving toward a Free Trade Agreement, potentially finalised this year. PM Modi’s upcoming visit will also deepen defence ties and expand collaboration in technology, infrastructure, and innovation.
The EU-India FTA promises cheaper drugs and medical devices, but India’s regulatory framework may hinder patient benefits. Current pricing mechanisms, including market-based ceiling prices and loopholes for fixed-dose combinations, prevent cost reductions from reflecting in retail prices. An urgent overhaul of drug pricing and an independent regulator for procedures are needed to ensure affordability and realize the FTA’s full potential.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s retaliatory tariffs in February 2026, prompting a new 10% global tariff (effective Feb 24) and an immediate 15% rate. Thailand expects benefits short-term as effective U.S. tariffs on its exports drop below 10%, boosting competitiveness. Thai government is accelerating trade deals and investment drives to turn global trade uncertainty into strategic growth.
The Philippines and Canada will hold the second round of talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) in April following the launch of negotiations for the historic trade pact last week.
Digital trade rules embedded in Bangladesh’s new agreement with the US may deprive Bangladesh of tax revenues and also limit the expansion of digital economy, say experts.