bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

All articles

Zambia ratifies tripartite free trade area agreement
22-Jan-2021 News Ghana
Zambia has become the latest country to ratify the Tripartite Free Trade Area, bringing the number of countries that have ratified the agreement and deposited the instruments to nine. The agreement, being pursued by COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), needs a total of 14 countries to enter into force.
UK-Africa trade: What will Brexit change?
22-Jan-2021 DW
UK has already inked post-Brexit trade deals with 13 African countries. These new agreements, which offer duty-free and quota-free access to British markets, aren’t much different to the old ones, as they are mainly transferring the conditions in the EU deals into bilateral agreements between the UK and the African nation, or blocs.
EU-China trade ties in the spotlight following news of investment pact
22-Jan-2021 IISD
The EU-China agreement-in-principle on investment includes language that would aim to prevent forced technology transfers, and describes a “positive list” approach for market access.
French controllers of Nuevo Pudahuel, operator of the Santiago airport, initiate ICSID proceedings against Chile
22-Jan-2021 Memesita
The controllers of Nuevo Pudahuel, made up of the French Aeroports de Paris, Vinci Airports, with 40%, and the Italian Astaldi will face off with the Chilean State before the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
EU-China BIT partial text (Jan 2021)
22-Jan-2021 European Commission
Analysis: How rich oil firms are using secretive court to fight capital gains tax in developing world
21-Jan-2021 Finance Uncovered
The battle between ConocoPhillips and Vietnam result could mark a significant shift in the way huge multinationals fight off the threat of taxes from desperate revenue authorities in developing countries.
Switzerland plans to start talks with Moldova on creation of free trade zone
21-Jan-2021 UrduPoint
Switzerland intends to begin negotiations with Moldova this year on the creation of a free trade deal.
UK will submit request to join CPTPP trading bloc soon - trade minister
21-Jan-2021 Reuters
Britain will soon submit its application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc, trade minister Liz Truss said.
MSG to pursue ratification of Melanesian Free Trade Agreement
21-Jan-2021 Fiji Times
The Melanesian Free Trade Agreement is a comprehensive and progressive free trade agreement that aims to achieve regional integration of economies in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
Mozambique is not in a position to ratify AfCFTA agreement
21-Jan-2021 Club of Mozambique
An economist at the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) argues that Mozambique is not in a position, in the short-to-medium term, to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
UK free to make trade deals with genocidal regimes after Commons vote
20-Jan-2021 The Guardian
The government has narrowly defeated a move requiring the government to reconsider any trade deal with a country found by the high court to be committing genocide.
EU-China investment deal lacks teeth on forced labor but could still be derailed
20-Jan-2021 Taiwan News
Potential gains not worth cost of overlooking ’blatant human rights violations’ in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, and against Taiwan’: French senator
Government of Canada takes next step in compensating Canada’s dairy farmers
20-Jan-2021 Yahoo
The compensation is valued at $1.75 billion to dairy producers for the market access concessions made under CETA and the CPTPP.
Turkey ratifies free trade deal with Azerbaijan
19-Jan-2021 Anadolu
Turkey ratified the free trade agreement with Azerbaijan, according to a notice issued in the Official Gazette.
US attacks Australia’s ’extraordinary’ plan to make Google and Facebook pay for news
19-Jan-2021 The Guardian
The US has said the proposed legislation could run counter to the US-Australia free trade agreement.
Kenya gears for third round talks on US trade deal
19-Jan-2021 Citizen Digital
Trade and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina says the country is ready to return to the negotiating table once the new administration in the US settles.
Canada scrambles to salvage Keystone XL as Biden prepares to kill troubled pipeline project
19-Jan-2021 Reuters
Alberta believes there was a “very solid” legal basis to seek damages under international free trade agreements if the pipeline is effectively killed, said Alberta Premier
Alternative trade for the planet
18-Jan-2021 Trade Justice Movement
Tackling the climate and environmental crises is more urgent than ever and global momentum to do so is building rapidly. Yet international trade law lags behind and threatens to choke off serious action.
Mining operations – Submission of request for international arbitration to Chinese government
18-Jan-2021 AsiaPhos
AsiaPhos has been in discussion with the Chinese Government (since November 2017) for a settlement in relation to the cessation of the mining activities because of the Panda Park.
TNCs reviving TPP Frankenstein
18-Jan-2021 Financial Express Bangladesh
Corporate globalisation and Covid-19 should also have taught developing countries that they must reject FTAs strengthening IPRs, ISDS and TNCs in order to secure policy space to ’build back better’.