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bilateralism & multilateralism


Economic Partnership Agreements - no plan B?
The European Union Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, said the EU would not engage in an alternative strategy concerning African, Caribbean and Pacific trade relations with Europe at the World Trade Organisation, stressing that there is definitely "no Plan B" for EU trade relations with the ACP. New Era spoke to trade analyst, Wallie Roux, wherein he responds in his personal capacity to Mandelson’s assertions.
Bilateral deals abound as APEC leaders talk Doha
Vietnam, Singapore, Peru and South Korea are just some of the countries Canada is discussing various trade deals with, despite saying the WTO talks are its priority.
UNCTAD warns poor countries on free trade deals
Though preferential trade agreements (PTAs) may offer transitory gains in terms of market access and higher foreign direct investment, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has cautioned developing countries to be careful before entering into such deals.
US-Korean food fight
The US government is working to deny South Koreans the right to local food and to undermine their domestic food safety laws through the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
US/Korean trade nonsense has to stop
Korea should continue to reject the occasional box of beef — the containers of boneless meat that accidentally contain bones or spinal material — and let the rest go through. Their buying public can make the decision about the quality of the product. At the same time, American beef packers should continue to work on their quality control procedures and get it right before the KORUS FTA is finalized.
Multilateral still better than bilateral talks
"When we try to negotiate as individual countries, we give the Europeans the ammunition to divide and discriminate against us", said Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity Bright Matonga.
Trade deficit in food safety
Public Citizen has published a new report on the connection between trade agreements that limit US food safety policies to facilitate trade and the growing safety threat posed by US food imports
New rating poses threat to Kenya’s trade terms
Kenya’s terms of trade in the international market may change for the worse following its recent removal from the list of the world’s Least Developed Countries, it has emerged.
New Danish strategy targets free trade with emerging markets in Asia
A new trade policy strategy from the Government of Denmark aims at supporting ambitious EU bilateral and regional free trade and investment agreements — especially with new growth markets in Asia.
Country-based policies are best
Africa’s poorest countries should develop policies to suit their unique circumstances to replace policies imposed on them by their developed country counterparts, former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa has said.
What will India gain from the FTA with the EU?
The negotiations for an EU-India FTA could prove even more difficult to bring to a successful conclusion than the Doha development negotiations.
Japan keeps rice out of free trade proposals
Japan’s trade supremo Akira Amari has ruled out opening up the country’s rice market in a free trade agreement with Australia, saying Japan’s aim is to secure a deal that covers "90 per cent" of trade between the two countries.
US FTA talks hanging in the balance
Trading partners of the United States will have less confidence that the United States can honour trade deals it is negotiating after Congress leaders announced that they would not renew the President’s fast-track trade authority, and also rejected two FTAs.
Apec trade ministers to mull ways to harmonise RTAs & FTAs
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) trade ministers will meet next week to mull ways to standardise rules in regional and free trade pacts so that countries face fewer complications when they are members of several accords.
US offers Canberra a Doha fallback over trade
Australia could be invited to join the North American Free Trade Agreement as part of a strategy among Asia-Pacific nations to deal with the collapse of world trade talks.
The great spaghetti tangle
The World Trade Organization (WTO) lays down parameters for the conduct of international trade among its 150 member countries. The basic objective, as stated more than implemented, is to provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, rule-based multilateral trade environment.
The changing landscape of regional trade agreements: 2006 update
An update (to end 2006) of WTO’s discussion paper on RTAs/FTAs
Latin nations bemoan China trade
It is billed as a "competitiveness" forum bringing business and government officials from across the Western Hemisphere to Atlanta with the goal of boosting trade, investment and livelihoods for the region’s 800 million citizens.
Canada needs more trade deals
Free trade with Iceland and Liechtenstein is not exactly a hot political topic in Canada. But last week, Canada announced a deal with those two little countries along with Norway and Sweden - together they refer to themselves, rather grandly, as the European Free Trade Association. It’s not much, but it’s more than this country has accomplished in the trade arena is some time. Trade Minister David Emerson says there’s more to come, to which Canadian exporters and consumers can only say: "It’s about time."
“Trade with Mexico is a big opportunity for India”
Mexican minister of economy Eduardo Sojo says Indian companies should use Mexico, through its 44 FTAs, as a gateway to enter the US and the Latin American market.