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Foreign nurse, carer intake slow / Facilities worried about extra burdens when hiring Indonesians
16-Apr-2009 Yomiuri Shimbun
Under a bilateral economic partnership agreement signed by Japan and Indonesia in August 2007, Japan is supposed to accept 1,000 Indonesian nurses and care workers over a two-year period. However, due to a lack of preparation, only about 200 Indonesian nurses and caregivers arrived in Japan in the first year.
Cross-strait trade pact could aid FTA talks with US: Taiwan’s rep
16-Apr-2009 Taiwan News
If Taiwan signs an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, this would definitely contribute to future negotiations with the United States on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), Taiwan’s representative to Washington, D.C. said Wednesday.
’GM to determine fate of S Korea-US FTA’
16-Apr-2009 Korea Times
How the US President Obama administration deals with General Motors will determine the fate of the free trade agreement between Korea and the United States, the former first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.
US firms urge Washington to cultivate Asia-Pacific links
15-Apr-2009 BusinessWorld
The Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers is urging the Obama administration, while AmCham Philippines is lobbying the Macapagal Arroyo government, to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade area
Just what we don’t need: An investor rights deal with the EU
15-Apr-2009 Rabble.ca
How many Canadians realize the Harper government is well into detailed talks aimed at concluding a comprehensive “free trade” agreement with the European Union?
AMCHAM presses Obama on FTA
15-Apr-2009 Korea Times
The Obama administration and the US Congress should approve and implement the still un-ratified Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) as early as possible, and consider how the business community can help respond to potential humanitarian crises in North Korea, two major US business lobby groups closely linked to Korea said Tuesday.
Minister heads to China in search of FTA and global food security agreement
15-Apr-2009 AFN
Australia is seeking undertakings from China to work collaboratively on supporting global food supplies and to accelerate negotiations to forge a free trade agreement that delivers benefits for Australia’s farming, fishing and forestry industries.
Free trade deals could help counter falling trade, ADB study says
15-Apr-2009 GMA News
The Asian Development Bank has released the first comprehensive survey of the impact on business of East Asia’s numerous FTAs.
A partnership among equals? Examining the EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
13-Apr-2009 TNI
The EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign initiated in 2007 a research project that would examine the nature and scope of EU-ASEAN Relations. The first phase of that project was the conduct of country-level studies. We have so far been able to complete studies in Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand and we expect reports from Vietnam and Malaysia very soon.
Trading away our jobs
13-Apr-2009 WoW
War on Want’s latest report, ’Trading Away Our Jobs: How free trade threatens employment around the world’, investigates the impact of free trade agreements on jobs.
SKorea expects FTA talks with US next month
13-Apr-2009 AFP
South Korea expects new talks with the United States next month on ratifying a free trade pact, its trade minister said, adding Washington now seems more in favour of the deal.
GCC mulls reopening free trade talks aith EU
12-Apr-2009 Easy Bourse
The Gulf Cooperation Council chief and Saudi and Omani ministers on Sunday discussed how to revive talks on a free trade accord with the European Union that broke down in December
As Asia builds economic ties, Taiwan sidelined by China
12-Apr-2009 CSM
Taiwan watches as Asian neighbors ink trade deals, lower tarrifs, and get access to Chinese loans for growth.
Norway withdraws from EFTA negotiations on IPR
12-Apr-2009 FTA Watch - India
Norway has resigned from the EFTA negotiations on intellectual property rights. The sole EFTA cooperation may now be in danger. “We have chosen to pull out of the negotiations. We have a different policy than the other EFTA countries in this area. This has not been problematic so far, but differences have crystallized during the negotiations with India”, says State Secretary Rikke Lind, Norway Ministry of Trade and Industry, to the New Time.
EFTA Free trade agreements: Norway asserts Human Rights, Switzerland supports companies
12-Apr-2009 FTA Watch - India
EFTA FTAs negotiations have taken a complicated turn, with Norway withdrawing from talks on intellectual property, which is a serious priority for Switzerland. In addition, Norway deferred the submission for ratification by the Norwegian Parliament of the FTA with Colombia, an act seen by many as a move on the part of the Norwegians to renegotiate many terms within the agreement.
’USTR wants FTA ratified without change’
12-Apr-2009 Korea Times
The office of US Trade Representative (USTR) wants a free trade pact with South Korea to be ratified without renegotiation, unlike the US Democrats who are calling for an amendment
EU-Central America Association Agreement: Rejection by social movements of EU FTAs
12-Apr-2009 Via Campesina
With Nicaragua leaving the negotiation table, the 7th round of negotiations between the EU and Central America has been suspended. With this, the aggressive policies of he EU have been brought to a halt for the time being.
Thai official: ASEAN leaders to re-meet in August
11-Apr-2009 Xinhua
The leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet again in Bangkok in August to sign free trade agreements with China and India, Thai media reported Saturday after the cancellation of ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Countries should be allowed to withdraw agreements
10-Apr-2009
South Asian Economists and Academics said that integrating the region through services liberalization would require a flexible approach that permits special and differential treatment of least developed countries in the region and also of countries least prepared to open up their services for trade.
26 African states sign free trade area agreement
10-Apr-2009
Twenty six African countries seeking to merge their economies into a single trading bloc that controls a combined wealth of $ 624m and a market of 527m people moved to a definitive stage after their leaders approved plans to establish a free trade area early this week.