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Challenging corporate investor rule
4-May-2007 IPS
How the World Bank’s investment court, free trade agreements, and bilateral investment treaties have unleashed a new era of corporate power and what to do about tt
Ramesh bypasses boss, tells PM to reconsider clauses in FTA with ASEAN
4-May-2007
Two days after Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had a dig at the Prime Minister over economic reforms and 9.2 per cent growth at a CII meeting, Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh has cautioned Manmohan Singh over parts of the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the ASEAN group.
FTA with Brunei likely by year end
4-May-2007
Modalities for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Brunei Darussalam are being finalised and hopefully the agreement would be in place by the end of this year. This was stated by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Major General (retd) Syed Haider Jawed, while speaking at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Thursday.
National-level campaign tackles the proposed EU-ASEAN FTA
4-May-2007 IPD
A broad coalition composed of social movement groups and actors convened to gear up a country-level campaign that will expose and critique the neo-liberal framework that guides the entire free trade agreement (FTA) discourse, now being negotiated between the European Union (EU) and the 10-member ASEAN.
Cuba hosts anti-FTA meeting
3-May-2007
The sixth Hemispheric Meeting to Fight Free Trade Agreements and for integration of the peoples began sessions at Havana Convention Center on Thursday.
Scholar advises ACP countries
3-May-2007
African, Caribbean and Pacific countries need to press for increased protocol tonnage to safeguard itself, a scholar advised.
Pak wants greater trade but puts conditions on SAFTA
3-May-2007
Pakistan, which is keen on exporting cement and wheat to India, on Thursday said it is willing to fulfil its SAFTA commitments if the issue of non-tariff barriers are addressed.
Exclusive US agreements unfair advantage, Emerson says
3-May-2007
Canadian exporters are facing discrimination in Latin America and elsewhere because of exclusive trade pacts the United States has with those countries, Trade Minister David Emerson has complained.
Foreign investors gone wild
3-May-2007 FPIF
When Bolivian President Evo Morales took office in January 2006, he pledged to follow through on his campaign pledge to increase Bolivians’ share of revenues from their major source of foreign income, natural gas. International gas companies, however, threatened to sue. Previous Bolivian governments had signed a flurry of bilateral investment treaties that gave foreign investors the right to bypass domestic courts and file such lawsuits through international tribunals. Morales complained that these rules made him feel like a “prisoner” in the presidential palace.
Free Trade doesn’t protect Dominican journalists, expert says
3-May-2007
A lawyer expert in trade said that while the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. and Central America (DR-CAFTA) protects professional services via a law that governs them, such as lawyers, doctors, accountants, speakers and television hosts, work in the media can be exerted by any foreigner, because the law that governs it doesn’t demands the condition of Dominican or an affiliation with any union.
Japan, Qatar reaffirm ties on energy supply, education
3-May-2007
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani reaffirmed Tuesday at a meeting in Doha that they will cooperate in securing stable energy supplies for Japan, Japanese officials said.
South Korea trade deal ’close’
3-May-2007
South Korea will lift its ban on Canadian beef within the next three weeks, allowing the two countries to complete a free-trade agreement in the near future, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay predicted yesterday.
Trade bloc ’must reap benefits of EU funds’
3-May-2007
A split among Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries that were also members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries would be detrimental to the region when the European Development Fund decided by year end to roll out development funds for the SADC region, said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma yesterday.
India may relent on FTA talks with Asean
3-May-2007
India is bending over backwards with regard to its free trade agreement (FTA) talks with an ostensibly disinterested Asean. Sources say the commerce ministry is now considering breaking India’s 709-strong sensitive list with a view to shifting some of them to the normal track, which entails elimination of tariffs latest by 2015.
ASEAN aims to ink free trade pact with Japan in November
3-May-2007 The Star
Southeast Asian countries aim to sign a free trade pact with Japan in November, and will try to remove obstacles in the negotiations at a ministerial meeting in Brunei this week, an official said Thursday.
Labor movement divided on approach to FTA
3-May-2007 Hankyoreh
Korea’s two umbrella labor groups are split about the free trade agreement with the United States. KCTU is against the FTA altogether. FKTU has taken the position that the agreement needs "followup" measures.
Global trade talks stall as free trade agreements grow in Asia
3-May-2007 VOA
As the latest World Trade Organization round of talks loses momentum, bilateral and regional free trade agreements are mushrooming in Asia.
Drug makers fear trade deal from House Dems, administration
3-May-2007 The Hill
Research-based pharmaceutical companies could be among the biggest losers if House Democrats and the Bush administration reach an agreement on trade, industry sources said this week.
ASEAN to discuss free trade framework with Japan, EU
3-May-2007 Manila Bulletin
ASEAN economic ministers will tackle issues and modalities on proposed free trade negotiations with Japan and the European Union, but not with the US, starting today.
US plans to proceed to free trade agreement with Pakistan
2-May-2007
US intends to go ahead to Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan after striking a mutual investment deal with Pakistan.