bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

Articles by language


Switzerland to upgrade existing trade agreements
Switzerland has expressed interest to upgrade its Bilateral Investment Treaty with Sri Lanka.
Stopping the corporate power grab — it’s not all just about TTIP
In the rush to oppose TTIP we mustn’t lose sight of the context in which the deal is being negotiated — the hundreds of bilateral treaties that give corporations the right to sue in secret ’trade courts’.
Russian PM approves free trade zone deal between EEU, Vietnam
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved a free trade zone agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and Vietnam.
China, Colombia launch free trade talks
China and Colombia have agreed to conduct a feasibility study on an FTA.
Sold down the Yangtze: Canada’s lopsided investment deal with China
In Sold Down the Yangtze, investment treaty expert Gus Van Harten offers a searing critique of Canada’s 31-year investment deal with China, which could end up costing taxpayers billions of dollars.
NZ hands tied on foreign home buyers under Korea FTA "bungle"
South Korea-based buyers may have open access to New Zealand’s housing market assured under a new trade deal, prompting warnings it could undermine New Zealand’s sovereignty.
Ethiopia signs 1.1 mln. Euro agreement with Comesa
Ethiopia signed Friday a grant agreement of 1.1 million Euros with COMESA to finance its regional integration programmes.
COMESA economic investment forum in Egypt next October
“We are studying establishing a unit at GAFI to provide economic and investment information to African countries,” says investment minister
Gov’t identifies damage to 9 farm goods from FTAs
Producers of nine local farm goods have suffered damage from a rise in imports due to free trade agreements, becoming eligible for government support and compensation, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.
Chilean ambassador: FTA talk with China to cover e-commerce
Chile’s ambassador to China said the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Latin America will cover several new areas, including e-commerce, government purchases, and financial services.
VN-South Korea FTA: A chance to develop firms
The Viet Nam - South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on May 5 is expected to bring positive effects to many of the countries’ economic fields.
China free trade agreement details within weeks of release
Six months after the deal was struck, the full details of Australia’s trade agreement with China are expected to be released within weeks.
Moscow plays nice with free trade as Ukraine sounds alarm over Russian troops
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a breakthrough in negotiations with Russia over Kyiv’s duty-free trade deal with the European Union – a much needed ray of hope in the ongoing war.
Vietnamese exporters need to plan for FTA lawsuit liability
New free trade agreements (FTA) will help Vietnamese companies improve access to markets and diminish costs, but they will also require strategies and policies to minimise the probability of trade lawsuits, speakers said at a seminar on global trade late last week in HCM City.
Failed Free-Trade Agreement negotiations between Caricom, Canada disappointing — Bartlett
Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade Edmund Bartlett is expressing disappointment at the failed Free-Trade Agreement negotiations between Caricom and Canada.
India, EU can break FTA deadlock: envoy
India and the European Union could break the deadlock impeding the Free Trade Agreement when Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman travels to Paris in June to attend an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) event, European Union Ambassador in New Delhi Joao Cravinho told The Hindu.
Mwanakatwe joins other African ministers for pre- Continental Free Trade Area launch in Ethiopia
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister , Margaret Mwanakatwe joined other African Union Ministers of Trade, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a high level meeting convened by the African Union to prepare for the launch of negotiations for the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).
Renegotiating the bite of our BITs
Apart from its network of BITs, Indonesia is also a party to a number of multilateral and regional investment agreements such as the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement which also contain an ISDS clause, including recourse to ICSID arbitration.
More Dirty Little TPPA Secrets
Imagine Trade Minister Tim Groser gets to the meeting of ministers to do the final horse-trading for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (now slated to happen in late May 2015), plays his final hand and signs away our future for a carton of milk powder. He will know that’s not really the end game: a final deal is not a final deal until the US Congress says so. The US has two more aces in its hand.
Canada just threw a grenade into Elizabeth Warren’s trade fight with Obama
Last week, Canadian Finance Minister Joe Oliver gave a speech in New York arguing that the Volcker Rule — a key tenet of the US’ 2010 banking law — violates the North American Free Trade Agreement. This underscores Senator Warren’s warning that such deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Obama is currently negotiating, jeopardize financial reform.