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Obama’s agency revamp may diminish US Trade Representative
14-Jan-2012 Bloomberg
A proposal by President Barack Obama to reorganize US trade agencies would force together departments that have different missions, something industry groups say may diminish effectiveness.
Group calls for investment treaty with China
14-Jan-2012 China Daily
"We need to negotiate more bilateral investment treaties. … India and China should be high on that list," said Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce
Boehner meets Colombian President to push FTA
14-Jan-2012 Colombia Reports
Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner called on Colombia Wednesday to implement all measures necessary to secure the coming into force of a free trade agreement between Bogota and Washington. This includes guaranteeing specific labor rights and diminishing violence towards labor unions.
DPJ dissidents raise FTA concerns in Washington
14-Jan-2012 Japan Times
A group of visiting Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers opposed to Tokyo’s participation in free-trade talks led by the United States restated their fears in Washington on Wednesday that the deal could harm Japanese society.
EU-Malaysia FTA will be inked by year-end, says Piket
14-Jan-2012 Bernama
The European Union is optimistic that its free trade agreement with Malaysia will be inked by year-end, as per the timeline set by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, during his visit to Brussels, Belgium in 2010.
US, Pacific Islands hold next round of fishing negotiations
14-Jan-2012 FIS
The Pacific Islands Parties and the US are trying to reach a successor fish agreement following the US’s rejection of the Pacific’s proposal. Island nations are also seeking to solidify a regional strategy on fisheries for EPA negotiations with the European Union.
Investment terror
13-Jan-2012 DTE
Since the 1990s developing nations have been on a treaty spree, signing a vast number of bilateral and regional investment treaties to attract funds for development. But as the figure of investment treaties has shot up so have the claims for damages from investor companies, which are seeking billions of dollars in compensation on account of regulatory laws.
Investment developments in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
12-Jan-2012 ITN
What are the likely implications of the TPPA for investment law? The draft investment chapter is largely completed. It generally follows the 2004 US model BIT, with a few significant square brackets, writes Jane Kelsey.
Enactment of Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement triggers amendments to IP laws
12-Jan-2012 IAM
The Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect on July 1 2011. As a result, a number of acts that directly relate to intellectual property have been amended.
Thailand: Five-year trade plan focus
12-Jan-2012 The Nation
With global trade forecast to slow this year, the Trade Negotiations Department will prioritise Asean and six key Asian markets in its trade and investment plan for the next five years.
How US policies fueled Mexico’s great migration
12-Jan-2012 ILW
For nearly two decades, Smithfield has used NAFTA and the forces it unleashed to become the world’s largest packer and processor of hogs and pork. But the conditions that helped Smithfield make high profits plunged thousands of rural Mexicans into poverty.
Damage to farming from China FTA could reach $2.8 bil.
12-Jan-2012 Yonhap
Damage to Korea’s farming industry from a free trade agreement (FTA) with China may reach up to $2.8 billion, reports said Thursday, urging the Seoul government to be cautious in its FTA negotiations with China.
Japan lawmakers warn US on trade pact
12-Jan-2012 AFP
Lawmakers from Japan’s ruling party on Wednesday told the United States they would fight against a proposed Pacific free trade pact and warned that the deal was triggering anti-US sentiment.
Shaukat Aziz not optimistic about free trade with US
11-Jan-2012 Express Tribune
Pakistan’s former finance and prime minister Shaukat Aziz is not optimistic about a free trade agreement with the US saying that even when Congress was very friendly, they couldn’t get things through.
A Memo for President Aquino
11-Jan-2012
If indeed Philippine President Aquino accepts the invitation from European Commission President Barroso to visit Brussels this year, we would like to suggest at least two main discussion items
RI to fully implement free trade deal with OZ, NZ
10-Jan-2012
Under the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia is set on Tuesday to fully implement a free trade agreement (FTA) with neighboring Australia and New Zealand.
Agriculture stands to lose in possible South Korea-China FTA
10-Jan-2012
President Lee Myung-bak agreed to begin the necessary "domestic procedures" for opening formal negotiations on a South Korea-China free trade agreement during a summit meeting Monday afternoon with Chinese president Hu Jintao at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
S. Korea to start domestic procedures to launch FTA talks with China
10-Jan-2012
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak told his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao that Seoul will soon begin domestic procedures for the start of formal negotiations with Beijing on forging a bilateral free trade agreement, a presidential official said Monday.
Tariffs tumble — will prices follow?
10-Jan-2012 Jakarta Post
Although politicians are trumpeting the agreement as a major advance, Australasia will be the prime beneficiary getting easier access to ASEAN markets — around 625 million people.
Deep divide over Trans-Pacific Partnership
9-Jan-2012 New Straits Times
For Japan, TPP will be almost a bilateral free trade agreement with the US.