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ACP Open Day to highlight climate change and economic development
The Second Open Day of the Sustainable Economic Development and Trade Department (SEDT) is scheduled for Tuesday 11 October at the ACP House in Brussels. The one-day event aims to bring together African, Caribbean and Pacific embassies and regional organizations, along with leaders of various Programme Management Units and facilities to exchange information on ways to improve access to these facilities, including funding opportunities.
Germany supports FTA between EU and Vietnam
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will push for the conclusion of a free-trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam, which is of great interest to German firms, during her visit to the Asian country this week.
An agreement to be resisted
The US Republican-dominated Congress appears likely to approve the agreement, which makes it more vital than ever to press MEPs not to ratify the EU-Colombia FTA.
Prince Rupert caught in the middle of Canada-US trade dispute
Prince Rupert’s port has been put in the international spotlight after the US government decided on to investigate accusations that it has an unfair advantage over American ports which is causing carriers to divert their cargo north of the border.
Lee invited to address US Congress
President Lee Myung-bak’s upcoming state visit to the United States is expected to receive a warmer reception than ever before ahead of the impending endorsement of a free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) between the two countries.
Business leaders call for Japan’s participation in TPP talks
Japanese and U.S. business leaders on Friday jointly urged the government to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks soon, as the nine countries involved in the multilateral free trade framework aim to reach agreement on a broad outline in November.
BOFT warns about local impact of US-South Korea FTA
Taiwanese industries must prepare themselves for the impact of an upcoming free-trade agreement (FTA) between the US and South Korea, which might hurt local business opportunities in the US market, the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) said.
Trade agreements make lobbyists millions
US Justice Department records show that Panama’s, Korea’s and Colombia’s Washington embassies, foreign ministries, and trade agencies forked over at least $15 million for lobbying, legal, and PR expenses since the beginning of 2006 to help push for the agreements, The Hill reports.
“Mercosur won’t destroy European agriculture”, says EU business lobby
The head of Business-Europe International Relations said Wednesday that a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur “would not destroy European agriculture” in spite of fears from farmers.
Sad but true: Canada and Mexico have no clout in Washington
Although Canada and Mexico make extraordinarily large contributions to America’s economic strength, homeland security and international effectiveness, they have virtually no influence in Washington’s corridors of power.
Canada says EU free-trade talks at "advanced" stage, deal in offing
Canada’s chief negotiator on a free-trade deal with the European Union said Thursday talks are at an "advanced" stage and there’s no reason an agreement can’t be reached by early next year.
Protecting investors’ rights: An assessment of EU’s new mandate on international investments
This article tries to provide a first brief assessment of the leaked EU negotiation mandate for an investment protecting agreement in the EU free trade agreements with Canada, India and Singapore.
EU angers Government
The Namibian government is furious after a hush-hush decision by the European Union (EU) to close its duty- and quota-free markets to Namibian beef, fish and grapes by 2014 unless the country signs a controversial trade pact.
Caricom advised to end economic partnership with Europe
Caricom leaders have failed, as a group, to press European countries for reparations for the slave trade, social commentator Dr Radcliffe Robbins said yesterday. As a result, he recommends that member states abandon the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed in 2008 with Europe.
Canada travellers to face US surcharge from US-Colombia trade pact
"Assuming this free-trade agreement gets passed, this will increase imports from Colombia to the United States ... and Canada will pay for the cost of Colombian goods shipped to the US," said Birgit Matthiesen, a US-based adviser for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, a Canadian business lobby.
Karel De Gucht: The state of play of the EU-Mercosur trade negotiations – transcript
"I know that Business Europe and CNI are strong supporters of the trade agreement and believe it will create thousands of jobs. But we are at a delicate stage of negotiations – with some voices critical of the competition it might bring."
EU farm losses from trade deal with Mercosur ‘would range 1 to 3 billion Euros’
European Union farmers could suffer losses ranking from one to three billion Euros if a trade agreement is finally agreed with Mercosur according to a European Commission evaluation paper on the impact.
As bilateral trade deals proceed, WIPO hears warnings, calls for change
On 1 October, eight governments – Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States – signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), negotiated entirely behind closed doors with almost no known input from the public or elected officials.
Trade pacts set for heated fight
The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor federation, opposes all three agreements and will hold a Capitol Hill demonstration Tuesday to protest them. But the short timeline mapped out for passage gives opponents little time to block the deals.
Cabinet approves GCC-EFTA trade pact
The Council of Ministers Monday approved the Free Trade Agreement between GCC member states and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed in Hamar in Norway on June 26, 2009.