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Seeds of discord or seeds for development – which way for US policy with El Salvador?
4-Jul-2014 Oxfam America
The controversy over government procurement of seeds in El Salvador is a clear example of how US free trade agreements with developing countries can undermine national development goals, as Oxfam warned during the negotiation and debate over CAFTA, writes Stephanie Burgos.
India, Malaysia step up palm oil trade
4-Jul-2014 Hindu Business Line
The Malaysia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is bolstering Malaysian palm oil imports by India
Rethinking the role of global investment in Africa’s development
4-Jul-2014 Pambazuka
Much hope is placed on foreign direct investment to deliver development capital for African countries. Yet FDIs are part of the global financial capitalist system, which maintains and reproduces inequality and keeps African states dependent on Western countries and financial institutions, writes Yash Tandon.
EU-ASEAN FTA Network statement on the signing of Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the Philippines and EFTA
4-Jul-2014 EU-ASEAN FTA Network
The signing of the Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the Philippines and the European Free Trade Association is a prelude to an ambitious and comprehensive free trade agreement with EFTA and eventually with the European Union as well.
TTIP: debunking the business propaganda over investor rights
3-Jul-2014 CEO
The EU Commission’s plan to enshrine sweeping rights for foreign investors in the EU-US trade deal continues to draw heavy criticism. In response, industry lobby groups, law firms, and arbitrators have launched a tooth and nail defence of the business power grab. See through their propaganda with Corporate Europe Observatory’s guide to investment arbitration.
Progress made on El Salvador deal
3-Jul-2014 Politico
Washington and El Salvador moved closer to agreement on a $277 million U.S. aid package Tuesday after the Obama administration took steps to defuse a contentious trade dispute over a modest Salvadoran program to buy seeds for poor farmers.
US tying aid to agribusiness in El Salvador, groups warn
3-Jul-2014 Mint Press News
The US State Department stands accused of conditioning development aid to El Salvador to benefit and boost foreign agribusiness in the Central American nation.
Why workers should unite against Canada’s next-generation trade deals
3-Jul-2014 rabble.ca
With Canada’s labour movement searching for alternative economic models for a post-crisis, climatically unstable world, the government’s new trade and investment pacts are barriers to a better future and must be resisted.
Australia wins first battle in plain packaging trade dispute
3-Jul-2014 Sydney Morning Herald
The Permanent Court of Arbitration has ordered that Australia will be allowed to challenge Philip Morris Asia’s right to contest Australia’s plain packaging laws, on the grounds that the company only bought shares in its Australian arm so that it could launch the case.
Australian Labor Party plan raises Chinese investment threshold to 1 billion AUD
3-Jul-2014 Xinhua
The Australian Labor Party is proposing to raise the threshold for Chinese investment from 200 million Australian dollars (187 million US dollars) to 1 billion Australian dollars (940 million US dollars) as part of the nation’s free-trade agreement (FTA) with China
Newmont files for arbitration against Indonesia government on ore-export ban
3-Jul-2014 Dow Jones Newswires
Newmont Mining Corp. said Tuesday it is filing for international arbitration against the Indonesian government for a mineral-export ban.
The US / Peru Free Trade Agreement and generic medicines
2-Jul-2014 Inca Kola News
Peru’s National Association of Pharmaceutical Laboratories (Alafarpe) has filed a petition in the Peruvian courts to stop generic drugs from being sold based on the terms of US-Peru free trade agreement, according to Inca Kola News
Peru, India to kick off FTA talks in August this year
2-Jul-2014 Bernama
Peru and India are expected to meet in August this year to hammer out a solid framework for staring negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement, the country’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur) has said.
Philippines pursues free trade talks with European bloc
2-Jul-2014 BusinessWorld
Tthe Philippines and EFTA member countries — Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway — signed last June 23 a joint declaration of cooperation that paves the way for free trade talks.
TTIP won’t let big banks wriggle out of regulations, EU negotiators insist
2-Jul-2014 IB Times
The European Commission denies that it is using the negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to weaken financial regulation for the benefit of financial institutions.
Lew: US-China investment deal not nearing completion
2-Jul-2014 The Hill
US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said Tuesday that the United States and China aren’t prepared to wrap up work on an investment agreement during high-level meetings next week.
EU-US FTA (TTIP) - draft regulatory co-operation on financial regulation (March 2014)
1-Jul-2014 CEO
As leaked by CEO
Commission closes TTIP consultation — But is it listening?
1-Jul-2014 ETUC
Bernadette Ségol the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation says trade unionists are “particularly concerned at statements from DG Trade implying that the consultation is about a reform of the ISDS system and is not open to a decisive rejection.”
TransPacific Partnership deal elusive as talks set for Ottawa
1-Jul-2014 Canadian Press
This week, hundreds of negotiators from 11 Asia-Pacific countries descend on Ottawa as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks, viewed as the next big free trade deal after the European pact known as CETA.
Georgia and Russia meet to sort out EU vs CIS free trade
1-Jul-2014 Democracy & Freedom Watch
Georgian and Russian trade experts will meet in Prague on July 7 to find out how compatible Georgia’s new free trade with the European Union is with its already existing free trade framework with countries of the former Soviet Union.