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Investment treaties: Protecting transition investments, but are they just?
1-Apr-2025 Business Human Rights Journal
The urgent demand for critical minerals has led to the expansion of mining operations, often accompanied by significant human rights and environmental abuses that cause social unrest and spark disputes between states and foreign investors.
bilaterals.org podcast: April 2025
1-Apr-2025
This month’s episode analyses the impact of Trump’s return on the free trade regime.
Europeche calls for exclusion of tuna from new free trade agreement with Thailand
1-Apr-2025 Baird Maritime
As the European Commission and Thailand begin the fifth round of trade negotiations today until 4 April, calls are growing in Spain for tuna to be excluded from any future deal with Bangkok.
EU-Thailand trade talks resume as Spain worries about tuna sector
1-Apr-2025 Euractiv
As the European Commission and Thailand begin the fifth round of trade negotiations today until 4 April, calls are growing in Spain for tuna to be excluded from any future deal with Bangkok.
The climate impact of the EU trade agreement with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador
31-Mar-2025 Power Shift
Instead of supporting sustainable development, the agreement has primarily facilitated trade in environmentally harmful goods, and has also failed to introduce effective mechanisms to address sustainability challenges.
Thailand, Sri Lanka fast-track FTA strategy to diversify exports and draw investors
31-Mar-2025 Pattaya Mail
The move followed discussions between Suchat Chomklin, Deputy Minister of Commerce, and representatives from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in Colombo.
India, US decide to hold sector-specific talks for proposed trade pact in coming weeks
31-Mar-2025 The Hindu
The US is pushing India to negotiate a large and grand bilateral trade agreement while seeking to open the agriculture sector for American businesses
CEPA programme strengthens UAE’s global economic position
31-Mar-2025 Gulf Today
The UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement programme, initiated in September 2021, has resulted in 26 agreements with strategically significant countries and international blocs by the end of the first quarter of 2025
ETUC position on EU digital trade agreements with 3rd countries
31-Mar-2025 ETUC
Digital trade agreements should not prevent enforcement of workers’ rights or indeed the improvement of working conditions.
EU-Singapore digital trade agreement: Key points for consumers
31-Mar-2025 BEUC
The EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement is the first EU trade deal focused solely on digital trade. While it aims to strengthen online consumer protections, some provisions could put fundamental rights at risk.
Korea-Japan-China industry ministers agree to resume talks on free trade agreement
31-Mar-2025 Business Korea
The economic and trade ministers of Korea, China, and Japan have agreed to resume negotiations for the Korea-China-Japan Free Trade Agreement.
The financialisation of international investment law
28-Mar-2025 TNI
The landscape of financial profiteering from investor-state dispute settlement claims.
Kazakhstan ratifies investment protection agreement with Kyrgyzstan
28-Mar-2025 Xinhua
The lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament has approved the law on ratifying the agreement between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on encouragement and mutual protection of investments.
India holds firm on agricultural tariffs as US pushes for trade concessions
28-Mar-2025 CNBC TV18
Excluding dairy and agriculture-based products from the US-India agreement to protect the interests of local farmers is facing resistance from Washington, which is demanding lower tariffs on all products.
EAEU, Iran discuss strategic transport links in preparation for free trade deal
28-Mar-2025 Trend
A seminar was held at the Eurasian Economic Commission on the development of cooperation with Iran in the areas of transport and logistics, in anticipation of the upcoming implementation of a Free Trade Agreement.
Commission continues work to deepen trade and investment relations with Eastern and Southern African countries
28-Mar-2025 European Commission
A European Commission report published highlights the good progress made in recent negotiations to deepen trade and investment relations with five Eastern and Southern African partners.
Lula says Mercosur, Japan to discuss trade deal
28-Mar-2025 France 24
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that he expects talks between South America’s Mercosur bloc and Japan on a trade deal to begin in the second half of the year.
British oil company files lawsuit against Kazakhstan
26-Mar-2025 Azernews
British oil and gas company Victoria Oil & Gas has filed a lawsuit against Kazakhstan, citing provisions under the Energy Charter Treaty.
Not far enough – the state of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States
26-Mar-2025 TNI
Despite criticism of the free trade agreement with the United States, Colombian President Gustavo Petro opted to reassess a series of clauses on investments and arbitration, instead of requesting a complete renegotiation.
Negotiations update on an enhanced UK-Switzerland Trade Agreement
26-Mar-2025 UK Government
The sixth round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland took place in Switzerland between 3 and 10 March 2025.