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EPAs will bring more costs than benefits
26-Jun-2011
Economic Partnership Agreements are undertakings to create a Free Trade Area (FTA) between the European Commission of the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Benjamin William Mkapa explores whether it is worthwhile for the EAC.
John Key eyes free trade in India visit
26-Jun-2011
The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave tomorrow for an official state visit to India. John Key will discuss trade and tourism with India’s political and business leaders.
Canada interested in closer links with Mercosur announces ‘exploratory talks’
26-Jun-2011
Canada and Mercosur agreed on Friday to hold exploratory talks to strengthen their relationship, Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast said on Friday. Fast is currently in Asunción to promote bilateral trade and investments, and Paraguay currently holds the Mercosur chair.
Opposition party’s blockade of FTA
26-Jun-2011
Korea’s ruling Grand National Party, the main opposition Democratic Party, and the administration held their first consultation meeting on the proposed ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. At the meeting, Democratic Party Rep. Kim Dong-cheol said the Lee Myung-bak administration’s renegotiation on automobiles hurt the balance of interests between the two countries, suggesting that his party will oppose ratification.
’Move forward’ on CEPA, add services, investment : Pakistan HC
26-Jun-2011
’Moving forward’ on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Sri Lanka and Pakistan which also goes beyond only trade in goods outlined in the existing bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), into services and investment promotion, will boost trade between both countries, according to Seema Ilahi Baloch, High Commissioner for Pakistan in Sri Lanka.
Auto industry worried about duty cuts in FTA with EU
26-Jun-2011
Amid speculations of India giving in to EU’s demand on lowering duty on imported cars in the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), the auto industry has cautioned that if such a concession was granted, future investments in the sector in the country will be hit.
India won’t consider EU’s demand on duty-free wheat import
26-Jun-2011
To protect farmers’ interests, India has made it clear to EU that duty-free imports of wheat, barley, lemons, apples, pears and meslin flour will not be allowed under the proposed free trade agreement.
More than 400 NGOs sign petition against FTA
24-Jun-2011 Colombia Reports
431 NGOs from Colombia and the U.S. signed a petition against the pending Free Trade Agreement, reported Caracol Radio Thursday.
The Bangkok Declaration on free trade agreements & access to medicines
23-Jun-2011
Statement of May 2011 against the increasingly rapid spread of Free Trade Agreements that put the profits of multinational pharmaceutical companies ahead of people’s right to health around the world.
India says ‘no’ to policy that would block access to affordable medicines
23-Jun-2011 MSF
India formally announced at the UN High Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS that it will not accept data exclusivity, a provision harmful to access to affordable medicines, as part of a free trade agreement currently being negotiated with the European Union.
The unanswered questions surrounding the US-Colombia FTA
23-Jun-2011 Huffington Post
We should all be asking our policymakers some tough questions, like: What will they do when the FTA is passed and it devastates Colombian small-scale farmers and leads to a surge in coca cultivation? What will they do when the FTA is passed and there is an increase in forced displacement? What will they do after the FTA is approved and trade unionists and human rights defenders continue to be threatened and killed?
India, US to fast track bilateral investment treaty dialogue
23-Jun-2011 The Hindu
India and the United States on Wednesday agreed to fast-track technical negotiations for early conclusion of a Bilateral Investment Agreement during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
China’s dairy tariffs part of FTA - Groser
22-Jun-2011
Tariffs imposed by China on imported dairy products are part of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which New Zealand has benefitted greatly from, Trade Minister Tim Groser says.
Hong Kong and member states of the European Free Trade Association sign Free Trade Agreement
21-Jun-2011 HKSAR
Hong Kong and the member states of the European Free Trade Association, namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, signed a Free Trade Agreement today (June 21) in Liechtenstein.
Suriname tightens restrictions on used car imports
21-Jun-2011
Suriname has taken steps to protect the restrictions on the imports of secondhand cars that are in force because of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the region and Europe.
Administration wants to send trade pacts to Congress before recess
21-Jun-2011
The Obama administration hopes to send all three pending free trade agreements — Colombia, Panama, and Korea — to Congress before the August recess.
EU sees S. Korea trade pact as model for Asia
21-Jun-2011
The European Union sees its sweeping free trade agreement with South Korea as a model for planned pacts elsewhere in Asia, the EU’s chief negotiator on the deal said Monday.
Colombia violating FTA labor agreements through union reprisals: US Union
21-Jun-2011 Colombia Reports
Vale Coal Colombia has been violating the Labor Action Plan between the United States and Colombia, a requisite of the pending free trade agreement, through threats and reprisals against unionists in the northern department of Cesar, according to U.S. trade union United Steelworkers (USW).
Toyota cries foul on import duty sop
21-Jun-2011
The world’s largest carmaker, Toyota, has said it would be unfair to Japanese carmakers in India, who have invested more and for a longer time, if Europe-made cars get import-duty incentives under the Indo -European Union Free Trade Agreement.
COMESA, EAC, SADC start merger negotiations
21-Jun-2011
Negotiations for the establishment of a grand free trade area by three African regional economic communities are scheduled to start soon following the launching of the process by a Tripartite Summit that ended last week in Johannesburg, South Africa.