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Joseph Stiglitz defends public ownership
7-Feb-2007 Periódico 26
The Nobel prizewinner said he believes neither Colombia nor the United States needs a Free Trade Agreement. “It’s not necessary. One of the problems is that within these treaties there isn’t really much commerce. They are mainly about protection of investments and intellectual property that will make it harder for Colombians to acquire medicines that can save their lives,” Stiglitz said.
Intellectual property, bilateral agreements and sustainable development: The challenges of implementation
6-Feb-2007 CIEL
What appears to be the experience of countries that have negotiated FTAs is that the process of negotiations does not conclude with the signing of the agreement. The implementation process is a complex and tedious one. In addition, once this implementation phase has been concluded, a subsequent and difficult phase begins with the monitoring of this implementation.
Korea, Canada make progress on farm issues in FTA talks
6-Feb-2007 Korea Times
Korea and Canada have made progress on agricultural issues in their latest free trade talks, brightening the prospect for a formal agreement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest said Tuesday in Seoul.
Pros and cons waging ad war on FTA
6-Feb-2007 Korea Times
Proponents and opponents of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States are waging a war through advertisements to win the hearts and minds of the Korean public.
Malaysia Attorney-General defends generic medicines before UN rights body
6-Feb-2007 3D
Malaysia’s Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani has publicly stated his country’s stand "that generic drugs should not be restricted in any manner". Implying that a US-Malaysia FTA could result in more expensive drugs, he said that Malaysia is not going to negotiate on this issue, and added “we are providing the drugs for free.”
Canada nears European trade treaty
5-Feb-2007 Globe and Mail
Canada is quietly entering the latter stages of free-trade talks with Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. If concluded, this would be the first free-trade deal Canada has endorsed in nearly six years and the first sign that Ottawa is serious about catching up in the global race to sew up preferential commercial partners.
Mexicans protest sharp hike of tortillas, other food staples
5-Feb-2007 AFP
Thousands of people marched in Mexico City to protest the sharp hike of basic food products, including tortillas, and to demand the government exclude food staples from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "No corn, no country," the protesters shouted in the first major demonstration to confront conservative President Felipe Calderon since he took office December 1.
India, Japan move closer to trade pact
5-Feb-2007 Economic Times
India and Japan have decided to set up four working groups in goods, services, investment and bilateral cooperation to take forward negotiations on the proposed bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).
EU-Korea FTA prospects good: envoy
5-Feb-2007 Korea Herald
"Everything will be on the table" when Korea and the European Union start official negotiations for a free trade agreement in March, said EU Ambassador Brian McDonald.
More trade concessions likely for Mercosur bloc
5-Feb-2007 Business Standard
India may expand the list of items on which it will offer concessional imports to the Mercosur trading bloc as the two parties work towards an FTA.
US targets Malaysia in drive to sign Muslim countries to free trade agreement
4-Feb-2007 Media Monitors Network
FTAs are increasingly being regarded by many countries as Washington’s economic analogue of a nuclear bomb.
UAE weights price of trade pact with US
4-Feb-2007 ANTARA
The United Arab Emirates is mulling whether to make political concessions to the United States in a free trade pact that has eluded both countries for nearly two years.
Deadlock of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) in Ouagadougou
3-Feb-2007 TWN Africa
EPA negotiators from West Africa and the European Union meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from the 23 -26 January, failed to reach agreement on key issues regarding the results of the mid-term review of the EPA negotiations and the way forward.
Court: free trade draft stays under wraps
3-Feb-2007 Hankyoreh
A South Korean court ruled that the government is not required to disclose a current draft of the proposed South Korea-US free trade agreement.
US eyes closer trade, investment ties with Vietnam
3-Feb-2007 Thanh Nien News
The US hopes to open negotiations with Vietnam on a Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA), an important step towards establishing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Vietnam, a USTR official said Friday.
Japan-Thailand FTA (JTEPA): draft chapter on intellectual property
3-Feb-2007
Uruguay signs a TIFA with the US: Will this mean an unraveling of Mercosur?
2-Feb-2007 COHA
On January 25, Uruguay signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the United States that could ultimately dismantle Mercosur and isolate Uruguay in the southern cone.
Malaysia threatens to halt FTA talks with US after call to scrap Iran deal: report
2-Feb-2007 IHT
Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz told Washington to stay out of Malaysia’s affairs and warned the government will not bow to any threats, the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia reported. "I am ready to advise the government to cancel the FTA discussions immediately," she was quoted as saying.
US-Uruguay TIFA (2007)
2-Feb-2007 US Embassy in Montevideo
Time to get serious about Israel
1-Feb-2007 The Guardian
The UK House of Commons international development committee is calling on the Labour government to press for sanctions against Israel over its treatment of the Palestinian people. As a first step in putting pressure on the Israeli government to end this oppression, the UK should now urge its fellow members in the EU to consider suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, the cross-party committee says.