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German Social Democrats fear free trade
24-Feb-2015 Deutsche Welle
Support for the TTIP free trade agreement with the US is waning further among Germany’s Social Democrats, DW reports
EU: Turkey’s concerns over TTIP ‘legitimate’
24-Feb-2015 World Bulletin
The EU’s trade chief, Cecilia Malmstrom, said Monday that Turkey has “legitimate” concerns over the ongoing EU-US free trade talks and promised to keep Ankara informed on almost every step during the negotiations.
Shinzo Abe loses ally in TPP trade deal
24-Feb-2015 Financial Times
Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, has lost an important ally on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal after his agriculture minster resigned in a scandal over political donations.
European Left united to reform international arbitration tribunals
24-Feb-2015 Le Monde
Rather than abandoning completely the TTIP/TAFTA negotiations (and their little cousin CETA, an agreement between Canada and the EU) which is what a good part of civil society are calling for, the European Left wants to thoroughly reform this arbitral mechanism to limits its abuses.
Gambia: Stakeholders discuss impact of EPA
23-Feb-2015 Foroyaa
The Gambia, one of 5 West African countries which have not yet signed the EU EPA, is sensitising people about the consequences.
Vietnam prepares for flood of imports
23-Feb-2015 VNS
Vietnam will be flooded with foreign goods as a result of the Trans Pacific Partnership and Vietnamese companies may not be able to take advantage of the agreement, a local expert says.
US, EU agriculture leaders try to ease trade concerns
23-Feb-2015 Farm Futures
US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack shared the stage with his counterpart EU commissioner Phil Hogan at the US Department of Agriculture’s annual Outlook Forum and discussed TTIP.
Affordable medicines could be at risk as US seeks to firm up protections
23-Feb-2015 Sydney Morning Herald
Access to affordable medicines could be under threat in Australia if the United States gets its way in secretive negotiations over a massive trade deal involving 12 Pacific-region countries, academics have warned.
How Jack Straw lobbied Ukrainian PM and European Commission on behalf of sugar firm
23-Feb-2015 The Telegraph
According to The Telegraph, former UK foreign secretary Jack Straw lobbied the Ukrainian goverment - using the proposed EU FTA as a carrot - to get it to change a domestic law in favour of a UK company’s interests.
TPP accord no longer expected before April
23-Feb-2015 Japan Times
Ongoing negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement are no longer expected to conclude before April.
S. Korea, China expected to initial free trade deal next week: official
22-Feb-2015 Arirang
A high-level trade ministry official in Seoul says the two sides have reached agreement on a number of previously unresolved technical issues during closed-door talks.
Obama begins sales pitch on trade to wary US public
22-Feb-2015 Reuters
President Barack Obama on Saturday began a broad sales pitch to the US public about the merits of free trade deals, an area in which he faces stiff resistance from many in his own Democratic party.
Latest round of RCEP negotiations end with no clear breakthrough
20-Feb-2015 Yonhap News
The latest round of talks for a broad regional free trade pact involving Asian and Pacific countries, known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, ended with no clear sign of a major breakthrough.
How EU-US trade deal could thwart “boycott Israel” campaign
20-Feb-2015 Electronic Intifada
Two members of the US Congress have introduced a bill that would turn a giant trade deal between the EU and US into a devastating weapon against the people of Palestine and all those seeking justice alongside them.
EU-Ecuador FTA (2014): annotations and commitments
20-Feb-2015 European Commission
TPP chief negotiators to meet in mid-March in Hawaii
20-Feb-2015 Japan Times
The 12 countries involved in a proposed Pacific-Rim free trade initiative will convene a chief negotiators’ meeting in mid-March in Hawaii, sources close to the matter said on Friday, as they scramble to secure a deal by the end of this spring.
Free trade agreement between UAE and Switzerland this year
20-Feb-2015 Gulf News
Free Trade Agreement between Switzerland and the UAE has been signed and will be implemented from July this year, a dignitary from Switzerland said on Thursday.
Sri Lanka completes feasibility studies for trade agreement with Bangladesh
20-Feb-2015 Eurasia Review
Sri Lanka says a free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh could boost current levels of bilateral trade by seven-fold and such a FTA is in the works.
UNCTAD releases review of trends in investment agreements and investor-State dispute settlement
20-Feb-2015 UNCTAD
​In 2014, countries concluded one international investment agreement every other week. Investors continue to use investor-State dispute settlement, but the number of new cases does not reach the record high of previous years.
ISDS beyond TTIP: EU reforms and impacts on the Global South
19-Feb-2015 TNI
Public event organised by Transnational Institute, Friends of the Earth Europe and Traidcraft on 4 March 2015 in Brussels