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EU-Tunisia negotiations: Free trade without trading freedoms?
15-May-2018 CADTM
With the DCFTA, the EU offers Tunisia to sign an international treaty to further open its economy: for goods, services and capital.
Government hones in on revamped China FTA
14-May-2018 NZ Herald
The Government hopes to start the next round of talks on the upgrade of the China Free Trade Agreement in the next few weeks.
Peru wants to conclude FTA with India at the earliest
14-May-2018 Times of India
Peru is keen to conclude a comprehensive free trade agreement with India and wants it to be signed for mutual benefit.
Reko Diq damages claim ‘exaggerated’
14-May-2018 Express Tribune
The company exaggerated its future profits by underrating tax and royalty obligations by as much as 61 per cent, officials said.
NAFTA math may not add up to more US auto jobs
14-May-2018 Reuters
Trump administration demands in NAFTA trade negotiations meant to push auto jobs back to the United States may not be enough to spark a shift in where automakers build cars and trucks.
New Zealand signs side letters with five CPTPP members to exclude compulsory investor state dispute settlement
14-May-2018 Mondaq
New Zealand has recently signed "side letters" to exclude compulsory Investor State Dispute Settlement with five members of the CPTPP – Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Peru, Viet Nam and Australia.
Conoco authorized to seize $636 million in Venezuela PDVSA assets
14-May-2018 Reuters
The legal action was the latest in the Caribbean to enforce a $2 billion arbitration award by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over the nationalization.
Govt. responds to Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA detractors
14-May-2018 Daily Mirror
In response to concerns raised by some professional associations last week concerning the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA), the Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry in a detailed response said the movement of natural persons from Singapore has not been opened except for intra-corporate transferees in senior management and business visitors linked to investments.
Reject Trump’s threat to affordable medicines through TPP
14-May-2018 Scoop World
Government should reject Trump’s threat to affordable medicines through TPP and other trade deals.
Draft Council conclusions on the negotiation and conclusion of EU trade agreements
12-May-2018 European Council
EU member states approved the Commission plans to keep investment protection provisions seperate from trade agreements so that they can be approved without the ratification of national or regional parliaments.
Report of working group III (Investor-State Dispute Settlement reform) on the work of its thirty-fifth session (New York, 23-27 April 2018)
12-May-2018 UNCITRAL
The working group continued its deliberations on identification of concerns in the field of ISDS, as contemplated in the first part of the mandate.
NAFTA 2.0, junk food labeling and public health
12-May-2018 IATP
NAFTA 2.0 could effectively prevent all three governments from adopting some of the most effective public health policies to reduce obesity and prevent related health conditions.
Ukraine, Turkey complete tenth round of FTA talks
12-May-2018 MENAFN
During this round of talks, the delegations made a progress in the issues regarding the access to the telecommunications and e-commerce markets.
Ukraine, Macedonia to review FTA conditions in near future
12-May-2018 Kyiv Post
Ukraine and Macedonia will hold a round of negotiations on the revision of the provisions of the free trade agreement concluded in 2001.
Federal Court ruling sparks renewed criticism of NAFTA investor-state dispute resolution
11-May-2018 The Lawyer’s Daily
A Federal Court ruling in favour of an American company that is seeking millions in damages from Canada has prompted environmental groups to renew their calls for Ottawa to push to scrap the NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state dispute resolution system during the ongoing free trade renegotiations with the United States and Mexico.
Maine state legislators endorse removing ISDS from NAFTA
11-May-2018 IATP
The Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission, a legislator-run, bipartisan governmental body, recently sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative calling for ISDS to be removed in its entirety from NAFTA.
S/African gov’t approves African tripartite FTA pact, industrial action plan
11-May-2018 Journal du Cameroun
The TFTA seeks to establish an enlarged market involving 27 member countries from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and Southern African Development Community.
Georgia, Israel launch joint feasibility study on free trade agreement
11-May-2018 Georgia Today
Georgia’s Vice-Premier and Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili and the Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel Eli Cohen signed the declaration on launching the feasibility study on free trade agreement negotiations between Georgia and Israel.
Professionals say Sri Lankan govt. rushed into Singapore FTA
11-May-2018 Daily Mirror
In Sri Lanka, the top professional bodies representing engineers, architects, town planners and quantity surveyors and other related professions this week charged that the government has rushed into signing the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) without having proper legal frameworks in place to ensure job security of local professionals and the possible entry of under-qualified overseas professionals.
Perspectives on Pacific geopolitics
11-May-2018 Brookings
The rise of China in the Indo-Pacific has also challenged the long-standing dominance of US in Asia. Therefore, political uncertainty in the US, rapid economic growth, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its growing assertiveness, and erosion of ASEAN unity – among others – has compelled India to step up its contribution to a region that is also of vital economic interest to India.