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Abe talks up trade ties with Latin American alliance
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed eagerness Saturday to bolster economic and trade ties with the four Latin American nations that make up the Pacific Alliance, after accelerating the conclusion of a free trade agreement with Colombia.
Foreign ministers rekindle interest in EU-ASEAN FTA
It is expected that the EU FTAs currently under negotiation with Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, and the deal already concluded with Singapore, will eventually be used as the basis for a rejuvenated region-to-region FTA.
TTIP: battle of the choirs
The battle over TTIP has moved into the cultural sphere with the Strawberry Thieves Socialist Choir versus the Yale Spizzwinks.
International trade partnerships: Deal or no deal?
Obstacles in several countries could delay the negotiations of TPP and TTIP — and possibly scupper the deals entirely, says Oxford Analytica. Infographic.
South Korea farmers begin fresh protests against rice market liberalization
Farmers are demanding a Rice Tariff Law and also want the government to exclude rice from all future Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
US lawmakers warn Japan, Canada on Pacific trade deal talks
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers on Wednesday said Japan’s refusal to drop all barriers to farm imports under a Pacific trade deal was unacceptable and urged the US administration to cut Japan and Canada out of the talks if they did not give ground.
Obama’s TPP: Taking neo-liberalism to a new level
The sort of movement we need to successfully defeat the TPP has not yet emerged. In part trade union leaders bear responsibility for this: they have spoken up either in a tokenistic manner or not at all about what will be an absolute catastrophe for workers’ rights and living conditions in the region.
Canada to clinch trade deal with EU in September
Canada and the European Union will release final details of their mammoth trade deal on Sept. 25 in Ottawa, ending a marathon 10 months of bargaining since Prime Minister Stephen Harper flew off to Brussels to sign the initial agreement in principle, according to CBC News.
Fiji fears force deal with EU to save sugar industry
Fears of the collapse of Fiji’s multi-million dollar sugar industry prompted its government late last month to opt for an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) with the European Union. Islands Business magazine investigated.
The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty
The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty that was ratified by the House of Commons on 10 July 2014 poses grave risks to the achievement of human rights and the successful implementation of agreements currently being made in the peace dialogues between the FARC guerrilla and the Colombian Government in Havana.
’Sharing is not a crime’: Why a Colombian student faces prison for posting research online
A South American biologist who found a five-year-old master’s degree thesis online, then shared it with fellow graduate students on a Web page, could spend the next eight years in prison for copyright infringement — thanks to the US-Colombia FTA.
Ombudsman asks Council and Commission to publish more TTIP documents
The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, has called on the Council of the European Union to publish the EU negotiating directives for the on-going Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations with the US.
The era of mega-arbitration: International court rules against Russia in $50 billion decision
On 28 July 2014, an international arbitration tribunal announced that Russia must pay $50.02 billion in damages to former shareholders of the now defunct oil giant, Yukos Oil Company. Analysis by Kavaljit Singh.
Colombia, Japan agree to accelerate FTA process
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos and the prime minister of Japan agreed to expedite the process of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Japan-Iraq BIT (2012)
Japan-Mozambique BIT (2013)
UPA may have left another can of worms in Anand Sharma’s free trade agreements
One of the most serious long-term damages done by any ministry under the UPA — in India — was commerce under Anand Sharma.
Michael Froman sets stage for Africa summit, AGOA debate
US Trade Representative Michael Froman on Tuesday called for a new “compact” to boost trade and investment with sub-Saharan African nations, as President Barack Obama prepares to meet with 50 African leaders next week and Congress looks at renewing a 14-year-old program for the region.
GIs becoming growing cheese trade barrier
The US National Milk Producers Federation and the US Dairy Export Council say that geographical indications established as a direct result of EU FTAs are a new and growing type of trade barrier restricting access to the Korean and other markets for key US cheeses.
EU: Overview of FTA and other trade negotiations
Overview of ongoing EU trade negotiations as of 8 July 2014.