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Dealing with domestic conflicts in FTA negotiations: Lessons from the Korea-Chile FTA and NAFTA
22-May-2007 PECC
The most significant constraint in FTA negotiations is not international negotiation between two governments, but domestic negotiation with various domestic constituencies, such as organized farmers and labor, the national assembly, NGOs, etc. This paper analyzes the domestic conflicts that arise in FTA negotiations in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly focusing on the US, Japan, China and Korea.
Australia-Japan Free Trade Agreement - A bad deal should be stopped
22-May-2007 CUJ
A Joint Statement from Australian and Japanese people
Japanese investors want RP-Japan trade pact ratified
21-May-2007 PDI
200 Japanese businessmen expressed that they would invest in the Philippines only after the approval of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Keidanren chief calls for Japan-EU free trade pact
21-May-2007 Kyodo
The head of Japan’s largest big-business group urged the government Monday to strike a free trade agreement with the European Union to alleviate impediments to two-way trade and ensure a freer flow of invesment funds.
S. Korean business group calls on gov’t to swiftly start free trade talks with Australia
21-May-2007 Yonhap
South Korea’s top business organization on Monday urged the government to swiftly start free trade talks with Australia, saying a deal would be in the interest of both sides.
Mexican workers call for a continental workers’ campaign for living wages and social justice
20-May-2007 ZNet
A coalition of Mexican unions has now proposed a strategy of struggle that could open up the door to a more class-wide and continental approach to union and workers’ struggles, starting in the three NAFTA countries.
Pakistan’s free trade ambitions threatened
20-May-2007 Gulf News
One of the key impediments to Pakistan’s ability to become a robust performer in free trade tie-ups with a growing number of countries is the country’s worsening internal political environment. As someone said once, investors are like pigeons. They come one by one but all fly together when the going gets rough.
Trade future isn’t rosy in Ecuador
20-May-2007 Sun Sentinel
Washington might decide this summer not to renew the trade benefits that allow Ecuador to sell roses and other items duty-free to the United States. As many as 250,000 jobs are at risk in Ecuador’s flower industry alone.
New Thai trade talks ’needed’
20-May-2007 Gulf Daily News
A proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Bahrain and Thailand has stalled because of the intervention of other GCC countries, officials confirmed yesterday.
The unanimous opinion
19-May-2007 Granma
We are witnessing, on the hemispheric and Latin American scene, a growing insurgency regarding the predominance of neoliberalism.
Namibia: ’Half cooked’ opinion piece upsets meat industry
17-May-2007 AllAfrica.com
An opinion piece by Meatco’s market researcher and trade advisor about the on-going Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations between the European Union and SADC had the meat industry crying foul last week and saying such views could throw the industry into jeopardy.
Africa’s largest trade bloc in final stages of forming customs union, says official
17-May-2007 IHT
Africa’s largest trade bloc (COMESA) is in the final stages of setting up a customs union after completing work on tariffs to charge on goods imported from outside the group.
Starving the poor
17-May-2007 The News International
The connection between instability in the Middle East and the cost of feeding a family in the Americas isn’t direct, of course. But as with all international trade, power tilts the balance.
EU-Central America FTA - EC negotiating mandate (draft, 2007)
17-May-2007
EU-CAN FTA - EU negotiating mandate (draft, 2007)
17-May-2007
FDCL alert: European free trade onslaught in Latin America
17-May-2007 FDCL
European Union endorses highly dangerous negotiation mandates for free trade areas with Central America and the Andean Community
Pak-US investment treaty in doldrums
17-May-2007 The News International
The proposed Pak-US Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) is in the doldrums as the two sides have differences in certain areas and are showing no flexibility in their stances.
The ultimate risks of water privatization
17-May-2007 Jakarta Post
MNCs can always refer to Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) to which Indonesia is a party and use the "umbrella clause" in the BIT to transform a problem that was originally a contractual dispute into an international investment dispute.
India looks for key to Nafta in Mexico
17-May-2007 Economic Times
India is all set to sign a bilateral investment protection agreement (BIPA) with Mexico on May 21. This will be first such agreement with a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).
China, Peru to establish free trade zone
17-May-2007 CCTV
China and Peru launched the first joint feasibility study in Beijing on building a free trade zone in the past two days, and pledged to conclude the study within three months, said Wang Xinpei, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.