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Pak-Thai FTA – opportunity or threat?
10-Apr-2018 https://www.brecorder.com/2018/04/1...
Pakistan has had an increasing trade deficit with Thailand; for the period 8MFY18 the trade deficit has increased by 44 percent YoY as increases in imports from Thailand greatly outweigh rise in exports. In monetary terms, the trade deficit of 8MFY18 at $611 million is almost at par with FY16’s annual deficit, indicating the speed at which it is growing.
Tokyo willing to host TPP negotiators’ meeting in June or July
10-Apr-2018 Japan Today
Japan is willing to host a chief negotiators’ meeting of the newly signed 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact in June or July, a minister in charge of the pact said.
India and the EU get close to revive talks on proposed free trade agreement
10-Apr-2018 European Sting
Senior officials from the India and EU are meeting in Brussels this week to try and revive the negotiations, which have been stalled for long. Substantial difference and open questions remain, but it looks like Brussels and the Asian giant are closer than even before.
New law and trade agreement will diminish farmers’ control over seeds
10-Apr-2018 Prachatai English
An amendment recently introduced in Thai parliaments will take seeds out of the hands of women, farmers and indigenous peoples who have kept seeds, shared seeds and developed a wealth of local knowledge on plant varieties— and put them instead in the hands of large corporations.
Free trade and its pitfalls: Lessons for Africa
10-Apr-2018 Daily Monitor
Despite having several trade and investment agreements from 1975, the inability for Africa to build substantial productive capacity has in effect rendered the continent a net importer, unable to meet even its own food requirements.
International day of peasants’ struggles 2018: La Via Campesina calls for the coordination of decentralised, united action!
10-Apr-2018 La Via Campesina
For land and for life! Enough free trade agreements, enough impunity!
Trump Organization pressures Varela
10-Apr-2018 La Prensa
A letter sent by the Trump Organization’s lawyers reminded President Varela of Panama’s obligations under a 1983 treaty that protects the rights of investors from the United States.
US-Bahrain food export agreement signed
10-Apr-2018 Arab News
Bahrain has agreed to continue to recognize US safety certifications for American food and agriculture exports to the Gulf nation.
Ghana: Government moves to deepen bilateral trade with Japan
10-Apr-2018 All Africa
The Finance Ministry of Ghana is leading a business delegation to Japan, expecting to boost bilateral trade and economic relations with Japan and to conclude the Ghana Japan Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Most favoured nation (MFN) clause, the Africa’s Continental Free-Trade Agreement and the interim Economic Partnership Agreements of Ivory Coast and Ghana
9-Apr-2018 SOL
The MFN clause of their interim Economic Partnership Agreements obliges Ivory Coast and Ghana to extend to the EU the tariff advantages granted in the Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area.
Trade Minister plans to retaliate to EU ban on CPO
9-Apr-2018 Tempo
Trade Minister asked for permission to retaliate to countries barring the use of Indonesian crude palm oil.
Copyright in Mercosur-EU trade agreement: A little better, but mostly worse
9-Apr-2018 Creative Commons
While it’s positive that at least the parties are coming to the conclusion to forego the gratuitous copyright term extension, most of the changes in the consolidated text show a continued tightening of copyright protections that favor incumbent rights holders at the expense of users and the commons.
No NAFTA deal in principle to be announced at Lima summit - sources
9-Apr-2018 Reuters
Talks to rework NAFTA are not advanced enough for the United States, Mexico and Canada to announce a deal “in principle” at this month’s Summit of the Americas in Lima, according to two people familiar with matter.
PACER Plus: debate about Tonga’s signing could mean even more PACER-Minus
9-Apr-2018 AFTINET
The Kingdom of Tonga’s Prime Minister, ’Akilisi Pohiva, threw more doubt over Tonga’s signature on the PACER-Plus free trade agreement.
What to expect from PM Modi’s upcoming bilateral visit to China
9-Apr-2018 The Quint
The coming weeks will see a never-before intense bilateral engagement between India and China at the highest levels.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Wang Yi stress importance of upholding free trade
9-Apr-2018 Channel News Asia
Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Sunday, with both reaffirming bilateral ties and stressing the importance of upholding free trade.
Why we don’t need an FTA with China
9-Apr-2018 Dawn
Pakistan and China started negotiations on the second phase of the Pak-China FTA in 2011. So far, 10th meetings have been held in this regard. China was not willing to offer Pakistan substantial market access on items of Islamabad’s interest.
No change in India’s position on China’s Belt and Road Initiative: MEA
6-Apr-2018 Hindustan Times
India’s Ministry of External affairs on Thursday said there is no change in its position on China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the signature connectivity project of President Xi Jinping.
Free trade talks between Indonesia, Australia expected to complete by August
6-Apr-2018 Xinhua
Negotiation of free trade agreements between Indonesia and Australia is expected to be completed by August of this year, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said here on Friday.
US needs China more than China needs the US
6-Apr-2018 Bloomberg
Not one to be outdone by any adversary, Donald Trump has upped the ante in a rapidly escalating trade war with China, threatening an additional $100 billion of tariffs on top of the initial round of $50 billion. In doing so, the Trump administration is failing to appreciate a crucial reality: The United States needs China more than China needs the US.