bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

Articles by language


New import safeguards under discussion to secure Mercosur deal, French agriculture minister says
“Brazil has been very proactive in protecting itself. Why shouldn’t we also have specific safeguard clauses for agricultural products?” Genevard told reporters.
Madbouly touts tripled trade as Egypt, Serbia finalise free trade deal
Egypt has approved a free trade agreement with Serbia that will gradually eliminate customs duties, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced, noting that bilateral trade has more than tripled to around $300m since 2022.
D-8 preferential trade agreement targets $500 billion in intra-trade by 2030
Amb. Isiaka Imam, Secretary-General, D-8, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, says the organisation is focusing on achieving a target of 500 billion dollars in intra-trade among member countries by 2030.
I-EU CEPA talks end, but deal won’t take effect before 2027
The negotiations for the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EU CEPA) have concluded, but the agreement is not expected to take effect before 2027. Once fully implemented, the trade deal is projected to Indonesia’s exports to the European Union by up to 50% over the first three years.
More US rice could reach Japan tariff free, as Tokyo aims to placate Washington
The government may propose increasing duty-free imports of US rice in negotiations over US tariffs, according to government sources.
Trump signs order confirming parts of UK-US tariff deal
The deal includes a 10% levy on most UK goods, including cars, and did not address the expected removal of charges on steel imports. The UK has agreed to scrap tariffs on beef.
Emergency statement: We are firmly opposed to the selling off of agriculture and food in Japan-US trade negotiations
The Japan Consumers Federation is concerned that Japanese agriculture and food safety will be used as bargaining chips and sacrificed in the Japan-US trade negotiations, and has issued the following emergency statement.
China’s duty-free access offers growth path as Agoa waivers
On June 12, 2025, China announced it would extend duty-free market access to 53 African countries, eliminating tariffs on 98 percent of taxable products originating from these nations.
Malaysia – EFTA Economic Partnership Agreement (MEEPA) will jeopardise public health, access to seeds & farmers’ rights
Consumers’ Association of Penang submitted a Memorandum on June 2025 to strongly urge the Malaysian government not to rush to endorse and/or sign the trade deal with EFTA. If a deal is to be signed, such a deal must not contain any TRIPS-plus obligation.
Vietnam, US conclude third round of bilateral trade talks
Vietnamese Minister Nguyen Hong Dien and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick engaged in negotiations, making considerable progress on tariffs and trade cooperation, with plans for an upcoming online working-level meeting and virtual ministerial dialogue to resolve outstanding issues.
Would a free trade agreement with the US be of interest to Mozambique?
The Mozambican government intends to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States. An economist at the CIP fears that it could harm the country’s economy due to “weak competitiveness”.
Labor & civil society groups detail shared priorities for the USMCA review
As the review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade deal approaches, hundreds of labor and civil society organizations across the United States have written to the Trump administration with shared views on the significant changes needed for the pact to benefit working families and communities.
US-China trade truce leaves military-use rare earth issue unresolved, sources say
The renewed US-China trade truce struck in London left a key area of export restrictions tied to national security untouched, an unresolved conflict that threatens a more comprehensive deal.
Canada agrees to ratify Britain’s accession to major trans-Pacific trade pact
Canada has agreed to ratify Britain’s accession to a major trans-Pacific trade pact as Sir Keir Starmer and Mark Carney sought to revive talks on a stalled bilateral deal.
Third round of Vietnam-US reciprocal trade pact talks sees ’significant progress’
The third technical round of negotiations for a reciprocal trade agreement between Vietnam and the US has concluded in Washington, D.C.
Malaysia-European Free Trade Association partnership agreement could negatively impact many sectors, says CAP
The proposed Malaysia-EFTA Economic Partnership Agreement (MEEPA) could negatively affect public health, farmers’ rights, and food security in Malaysia. It includes "TRIPS-plus" intellectual property provisions that extend patent monopolies, limit access to affordable generic medicines, and increase drug costs.
Calling on First Quantum Minerals to definitely and safely close its Cobre Panama mine
101 organizations are calling on First Quantum Minerals to close its Cobre Panama mine, drop the international arbitration against Panama, and implement environmental remediation at the mine site.
ECVC Analysis of the impact of EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement on farmers June 2025
Despite promises to listen to farmers and take action to tackle the crises of prices and generational renewal in the farming sector, EU and national government decision makers try to force the closure of the EU-Mercosur Free Trade agreement.
India-EU FTA nears completion, says Goyal; focus now on non-tariff barriers
The focus of India and the EU negotiation is now on easing regulatory hurdles to facilitate smoother trade, especially for key Indian exports facing high EU barriers, such as chillies, tea, Basmati rice, and dairy products.
Cameroon ratifies Samoa agreement to extend EU-ACP trade pact
On June 11, Cameroon officially deposited its instruments of ratification for the Samoa Agreement at the EU headquarters in Brussels. This new partnership agreement between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific is set to replace the 2000 Cotonou Agreement, which established the framework for the Economic Partnership Agreements.