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Mexico unsure if it will finish NAFTA talks with US in August
Mexico’s economy minister said that Mexico and the United States may not meet an August goal to finish bilateral talks to revamp the NAFTA trade deal, which is beset by disagreements over automobile trade rules and other issues.
Japan and Peru agree to seek early implementation of TPP
Japan has already completed its domestic procedures to ratify the pact and Peru is in the midst of its own ratification process.
Gold Reserve provides Venezuela update
Gold Reserve Inc. received Venezuelan government bonds with an estimated current market value of approximately US$88.5 million.
Mauritius - China FTA - Third round of negotiations underway
The FTA is expected to be finalised by the end of August this year. It will be signed in Beijing in September 2018.
The case against third-party funding in investment arbitration
These claims come at a significant cost to target countries and their citizens, since these claims will ultimately be paid by a large underrepresented class of stakeholders: the public.
Mauritius and Africa must avoid Chinese debt-trap
Mauritius is the first African country that launched the FTA negotiations with China; MoU over the Belt and Road Initiatives is under negotiation.
Select committee urged to stop the spread of ISDS under CPTPP
A range of labour, health and environmental organisations are calling for a clause to be inserted into the CPTPP Amendment Bill that would prevent future governments from extending investor-state dispute settlement to countries seeking to join the agreement.
Should Buhari sign the African Continental Free Trade deal?
Six analyses from economists and stakeholders.
BBVA starts arbitrations procedures with the ICSID on the exit from its Bolivian Pension Fund Administrator
BBVA has requested arbitration under the investment agreement between Spain and Bolivia with respect to the transfer of BBVA Previsión AFP (Pension Fund Administrator) to the Government of Bolivia.
RCEP trade ministers to meet on Aug 30-31 in Singapore
The meeting is important as the 16-member bloc now needs specific political guidance to move the negotiations further.
Japan, US to meet again on trade in September: Japan economy minister
Motegi and Lighthizer exchanged views on individual trade areas but nothing has been decided.
The Gambia signs the region-to-region Economic Partnership Agreement between West Africa and the EU
The Gambia became the 14th West African country to have signed the region-to-region Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU.
Malaysia urged to withdraw gracefully from bad trade deal
With negligible real trade gains from the original TPP, the US withdrawal has made benefits from the regional agreement even more trivial.
Luxembourg fund awarded EUR 53.3 million for FET breach arising out of Spain’s curtailment of renewable energy incentive schemes
An arbitration tribunal found that Spain’s electricity reforms breached its obligation to accord to the investor fair and equitable treatment under the Energy Charter Treaty
Japan sticks to TPP, US seeks bilateral deal in 1st trade talks
Motegi told Lighthizer that Japan believes the TPP — an 11-member regional trade pact from which the United States withdrew last year — is the best trade deal for the two countries.
Costs and benefits of investment treaties
As states look back over decades of treaty practice, the expected benefits have not clearly materialized, whereas the costs have been unexpectedly high.
EU-Africa free trade will create more imbalances, say critics
Germany’s development minister has sparked a debate by calling for EU tariffs to be waived on African goods. Critics question whether import duties are really the issue, or are there other barriers to trade?
US and EU begin laying the groundwork for a trade agreement
The US State Department instructs EU embassies to source trade deliverables. The EU delegation is planning a late-August trip to Washington.
No easy answers as Japan, US head for new round of trade talks
Japan will try to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off US demands for a bilateral free trade agreement at talks in Washington, but a quick fix for the trade imbalance between the two countries appears elusive.