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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.
12th COMESA Summit preparations on course
2-May-2007
Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi has said preparations for the 12th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit are on course.
Govt sets FTA target
2-May-2007
Australia is aiming to have nearly two-thirds of its exports and imports covered by bilateral or regional trade deals.
FTA to top Asean talks at retreat with Japan and EU
2-May-2007
After signing a free trade agreement with South Korea, negotiations are underway at the 13th Asean Economic Ministers (AEM) Retreat, for Japan to be next on the list to sign the deal with the South East Asian Nations grouping.
Uribe lobbies U.S. lawmakers on aid, trade deal
2-May-2007
With support of U.S. President George W. Bush, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe sought to convince U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday to approve more military and anti-narcotics aid and back a trade deal.
Latin leftists mull quitting World Bank arbitrator
2-May-2007
Bolivia and Venezuela, both nationalizing huge swathes of their economies, should quit a World Bank body that arbitrates between foreign investors and states, Bolivia’s president said on Sunday.
Ending FTA Hearings Before October Is Unlikely
2-May-2007
This newspaper carried out telephone interviews over the prospects of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) passing through the U.S. Congress with four experts: Jeffrey J. Schott, a senior fellow with the Institute for International Economics; Claude Barfield, a resident scholar at American Enterprise Institute; Larry Allen Niksch, a Specialist in Asian Affairs with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, and Anthony B. Kim, a research associate in the Center for International Trade and Economics at the Heritage Foundation.
EU plans to start FTA talks in Asia
2-May-2007
The European Commission has adopted negotiating mandates for new free trade agreements with trade partners in the 10-nation Asean bloc plus India and South Korea, according to a news release from Brussels.
Canadian FM calls for lifting of ban on beef imports before FTA talks
2-May-2007
Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay on Wednesday called on South Korea to remove its ban on Canadian beef imports, saying it could be a stumbling block in talks for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).