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Joint Japan-China study to examine FTA impact
18-Oct-2004 Daily Yomiuri
The Japan External Trade Organization has established a joint research group with a Chinese government institute to examine the possible impact on the Japanese and Chinese economies of a bilateral free trade agreement.
EU demands improved intellectual property protection from Israel
18-Oct-2004 Jerusalem Post
The European Commission has decided to increase pressure on Israel to adopt more stringent intellectual property protection for the benefit of EU pharmaceutical companies.
NGOs fear trade-off in RP-Japan trade talks
17-Oct-2004 Philippine Star
Talks of a possible trade-off between the local agriculture and industrial sectors in the on-going trade negotiations for the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) are worrying various sectors.
RP-Japan pact: Japan’s economic takeover
16-Oct-2004 IMC Quezon City
The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, more than a trade agreement, is essentially about increasing and ensuring the free entry and operation of Japanese investors in the Philippines by limiting the role of government in regulating investments.
’Change in labour law must for UAE-US FTA’
16-Oct-2004 Khaleej Times
UAE will have to change its labour code to meet international labour laws, revise the agency law and investment / sponsorship rules in order to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US, according to US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.
ICC urges Thailand to go multilateral route
15-Oct-2004 The Nation
The international business community has called on Thailand to abandon its plans for bilateral deals and adopt instead the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) agenda of multilateral cooperation.
Oman, US hold joint meeting on free trade pact
15-Oct-2004 Times of Oman
A joint meeting between the Sultanate of Oman and a US trade delegation headed by Robert Zoellick was held in Muscat yesterday to review a free trade agreement, which is expected to be signed in 2005.
India initiates FTA talks with Gulf Cooperation Council
15-Oct-2004 Economic Times
The government of India has kickstarted the process for clinching a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, with which New Delhi had entered into a framework agreement for economic cooperation in August.
Area sugar farmers see pledge as victory for industry
14-Oct-2004 The Forum
US Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has promised to scrap the controversial US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) if elected president November 2.
China may sign FTA with New Zealand first
13-Oct-2004 ABC
New Zealand may emerge as the first western country to sign a free trade agreement with China. A study looking at such a deal is to be released next month, and official negotiations between the two governments will start in the new year.
Fast track Australian FTA with China: farmers
13-Oct-2004 AAP
Australian grain growers, who stood to gain billions of dollars in new trade targeting the Chinese food and livestock sectors, are demanding that the federal government fast track a free trade deal with China.
Bahrein: FTA faces delay
13-Oct-2004 Gulf Daily News
A Free Trade Agreement between Bahrain and the US was signed last month but will not come into effect until it has been ratified by the US Congress, now in recess for the presidential election.
South Korea to discuss FTA with EFTA
13-Oct-2004 Asia Pulse
South Korea will hold a second round of joint studies on a free trade agreement this week in with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which is made up of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Japan: FTA deals deadlocked
13-Oct-2004 Asahi.com
Japan’s separate negotiations with Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and South Korea for bilateral free trade agreements have run into a brick wall.
Japan, Thailand to exclude rice from FTA
12-Oct-2004 Reuters
Japan and Thailand have agreed to leave out rice from a planned bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), a breakthrough that could see a deal agreed by the end of the year, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said yesterday.
Thai civil groups want IP off trade-talks agenda with US
12-Oct-2004 The Nation
Civil groups yesterday called for intellectual property (IP) to be excluded from the second round of the Thai-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation because of fears it would give unjustified protection to rich IP developers at the expense of Thais.
Tom Yam Swamp
10-Oct-2004 Outlook India
The Indo-Thai FTA is great news, but who will it benefit?
Ghana national trade policy and Economic Partnership Agreements
10-Oct-2004 TWN Africa
While the ECOWAS governments and the European Commission are still agreeing the road map for the negotiations, EPAs have not been discussed fully with local stakeholders.
US business pushing for Middle East FTA
8-Oct-2004 IPS
Major US corporations are joining forces to lobby for a US-Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA) that President George W Bush proposed in 2003.
US-Mongolia Agreement on Trade Relations (1991)
8-Oct-2004