RCEP & investment
The 15 governments must consider the adverse impact of the mega FTA and put an end to trade agreements such as RCEP as they only increase protection and power of multinational corporations.
South Korea will hold the seventh round of talks with China to discuss expanding the scope of their bilateral free trade agreement to better cover the service and investment sectors.
In recent years, observers have questioned whether investor–state arbitration will or should be a feature of the next generation of free trade and bilateral investment treaties.
South Korea has concluded no fewer than 99 investment agreements that allows paper companies to take advantage of investor-state dispute system.
The CTU is concerned that the "upgrade" of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement has not removed the threat of investor suits against the New Zealand government.
Indian negotiators are in Bangkok trying to insert crucial provisions in the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact.
Negotiators representing 16 countries have been tasked with arriving at an agreement on the controversial Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership by October 19 but trade unions say the deal has grave consequences.
India may cut or eliminate tariffs on 80% of products imported from China under a 16-country free trade agreement, the last round of negotiations for which is underway in Vietnam.
After seven years of tireless campaigning in Australia and across the region, the Malaysian Trade Minister announced that foreign investor rights to sue governments (ISDS) has been dropped from the RCEP agreement negotiations.
While India has not yet signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, it has accepted suggestions of other countries regarding rules on investments.
Malaysia’s trade minister Datuk Darell Leiking revealed that Malaysia and each of the other 15 parties to the RCEP negotiations had agreed to exclude ISDS provisions from the deal.
CSOs call for Trade Minister of South Korea should not undermine the ISDS reform objectives pursued by the Prime Minister
There is a high risk that New Zealand would still allow the investor to sue New Zealand in this expensive and discredited system of international investment arbitration
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal would undermine environmental protections in Asia.
Free trade agreements like the RCEP will infringe on India’s intellectual property laws. India must stand its ground in the interest of public health.
In a bid to fast-track the deal, most nations have agreed to ease the investor-state-dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses.
New Delhi won’t not take additional commitment on intellectual property rights beyond the TRIPS agreement it has already accepted at the WTO; investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism only for limited sectors.
Labor unions and workers’ rights advocates fear that the secretive RCEP agreement will further erode workers’ rights in the Asian region, while strengthening the hands of investors who may be able to sue governments for changing laws such as setting minimum wages, that would erode their profitability.
Redlines for investment provision in RCEP negotiation
The Thai government is about to enter a trade deal that could seriously harm the reform agenda and deprive communities of the ability to make decisions for fear of violating investors’ rights.
