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China invites Colombia to join Belt and Road Initiative, ‘exploring’ free-trade agreement
18-Oct-2024 South China Morning Post
China has invited Colombia to join the Belt and Road Initiative and is “exploring the possibility of a free-trade agreement” with the South American country, Beijing’s ambassador to Bogota told local media.
India expects UK trade talks to resume in November
18-Oct-2024 CNBCTV18
India anticipates resuming Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the UK in November after an eight-month pause. Bilateral trade has risen, but contentious issues remain, including access for Indian professionals and UK duty concessions on various goods.
Malaysia’s BRICS participation won’t involve free trade agreements, says Liew
18-Oct-2024 The Edge Malaysia
Malaysia’s participation in BRICS will not include any free trade agreement (FTA) between the country and members of the economic group, said Deputy Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong.
Zim set to start trading under AfCFTA
17-Oct-2024 The Herald
THE Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat has approved Zimbabwe’s provisional schedules of tariff concession, paving way for the country to start trading
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17-Oct-2024
Iran-EAEU FTA has to be finalized by January: TPOI official
17-Oct-2024 Mehr News Agency
The free trade agreement (FTA) between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states is expected to be finalized by January 2025. Both sides believe their economies are complementary and aim to increase trade. Iran hopes to increase its exports to EAEU members, while also investing in transportation infrastructure to enhance trade relations.
India, Australia speed up FTA negotiations
17-Oct-2024 Financial Express
India and Australia are racing to finalize a comprehensive trade deal before Australia’s upcoming elections. Negotiators are working to address remaining differences and secure the agreement within the next two months. Meanwhile, India is also seeking to address tariff imbalances in its trade agreement with ASEAN, aiming for a more balanced free trade arrangement.
Govt takes first step to join China-led trade bloc
17-Oct-2024 The Daily Star
Bangladesh has initiated the process to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This move is primarily driven by the need to secure preferential trade benefits after graduating from the least developed countries (LDCs) status in 2026.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt finalize investment protection agreement
16-Oct-2024 Madamasr
Egypt and Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday the formation of a new cooperation council and the forging of an agreement to encourage and protect mutual investments
EU, seeking far-flung friends, holds first summit with Gulf states
16-Oct-2024 Reuters
Talks on an EU-GCC free trade agreement, which began 35 years ago, have been suspended since 2008. The UAE has urged the EU to start talks on a separate trade pact with it.
ASEAN to ink upgraded trade deal with China in 2025
16-Oct-2024 Jakarta Globe
ASEAN intends to sign its upgraded trade pact with China in 2025, according to the Southeast Asian bloc’s secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn.
EU plans cash help for farmers to overcome French resistance to Mercosur deal
16-Oct-2024 Politico
The European Commission is working on a new budget fund to compensate farmers for any negative impact from the EU-Mercosur agreement. A French diplomat described the proposal as “an interesting option.”
EU-Andean Countries: Council greenlights the conclusion of the trade agreement with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador
15-Oct-2024 European Council
The Council has adopted a decision to conclude the trade agreement between the European Union and its member states, on one hand, and Colombia and Peru, on the other, as well as a decision to conclude the protocol concerning Ecuador’s accession to this agreement.
Spain urges fellow EU members to suspend free trade agreement with Israeli regime
15-Oct-2024 Press TV
Spain has called on fellow members of the European Union to suspend a free trade deal between the EU and Israel, amid the regime’s ongoing aggression in the Gaza Strip.
EU farmers reaffirm opposition to Mercosur deal as talks resume
15-Oct-2024 Agriland
Several EU-wide organisations representing farmers across several sectors have reaffirmed their opposition to the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, as talks between both sides have restarted.
After intra-EU BITs and the ECT, the EU needs to abandon extra-EU BITs—for legal, energy and climate policy, and political economy reasons
14-Oct-2024 CCSI
EU members should terminate extra-EU BITs. To facilitate the process, the EU could spearhead an instrument similar to the plurilateral agreement to terminate intra-EU BITs or based on the draft treaty language on termination proposed to UNCITRAL.
Interim govt moves to access RCEP
14-Oct-2024 The Financial Express
The Bangladesh interim government has strongly started processing to access the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), an emerging economic bloc encompassing the Asia-Pacific region that represents one third of global GDP.
Philippines, EU to resume FTA talks
14-Oct-2024 Philstar Global
The Philippines and the European Union (EU) are set to resume next week the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), which the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) wants to conclude by 2027 to ensure continued preferential market access to the bloc.
Malaysia in talks for new free trade deals to blunt impact of geopolitical conflicts — Zafrul
14-Oct-2024 The Edge Malaysia
Malaysia is currently negotiating several new free trade agreements that would help to diversify its trade and investments, and mitigate the impact of conflicts in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Drop ‘irrational standards’ in trade talks, Goyal advises EU
14-Oct-2024 Hindustan Times
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Friday advised the European Union to shun imposing “irrational standards” such as carbon tax, which he said act as trade barriers.