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Articles by language

Qualified industrial zones: Trade deal with the US and Israel boosts textiles

11-Dec-2007 FT

The deal allows Egyptians to export to the US tariff-free as long as they use a certain percentage of Israeli goods. The US initiative is intended to foster peace through trade. Qiz’s impact on thawing the political relations is questionable. But, for Egyptian garment producers, it has meant a chance to stand up to the competition posed by Asian producers.

Bush and Harper ignore Colombia’s labor rights reality

11-Dec-2007 Colombia Journal

There is no moral justification for the United States and Canada negotiating a free trade agreement with Colombia when the foundation of these pacts is the slaughter of Colombian unionists. The perpetrators of these crimes should not be rewarded with an agreement that most Colombians do not want.

S. Korea, Mexico at odds over agricultural safeguards in FTA talks

11-Dec-2007 Asia Pulse

South Korea and Mexico were at odds over safeguards for farm goods at their first free trade agreement talks, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Monday.

Africa leaders reject EU trade deal

10-Dec-2007 Al Jazeera

Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal’s president, said at the closing of the Africa-Europe Summit: "It was said several times during the plenary session and it was said again this morning: African states reject the EPAs."

S Korea seeking free trade with South America’s Mercosur: commerce minister

10-Dec-2007 Yonhap

South Korea is seeking a free trade pact with Mercosur to pave the way for Korean firms to increase investment and exports to Brazil and the other member states, South Korea’s commerce minister said Saturday.

Ivory Coast initials interim trade deal with EU

10-Dec-2007 Reuters

Ivory Coast inked an interim trade accord with the European Union on Friday as the bloc pushes for deals with as many former European colonies as possible before preferential trade terms expire on December 31. The top cocoa producer is the first West African country to sign a bilateral deal, breaking ranks with the region’s ECOWAS economic community.

Namibia: EPA pain in the butt

10-Dec-2007 AllAfrica.com

Government’s refusal to sign the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has thrown a challenge to the private sector, which had put too much trust on the Cotonou Agreement by regarding European markets as the only export destination.

EU should not pressure developing countries over trade agreements says WCC leader

10-Dec-2007 Ekklesia

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia has told European Commissioner Peter Mandelson that the coercive approach adopted by the EU poisons the negotiating atmosphere and that the interim agreements are not consistent with development, poverty eradication and rights to food.

CLC-KCTU joint statement on Korea-Canada free trade agreements

10-Dec-2007 KCTU

On the eve of the 12th round of negotiations between Canada and Korea for a trade deal, the Canadian Labour Congress and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, representing over four million workers in both countries, call on our respective governments to immediately halt these trade talks.

Mary Robinson concerned about EU approach to EPAs

9-Dec-2007 IPS

A recent study by Realizing Rights, an ‘‘ethical globalisation’’ body set up by the former UN commissioner for human rights and former Irish president Mary Robinson, forecasts that an EPA could harm Ghana’s development prospects by narrowing its scope to create more and better-paid jobs.

Korea, Mexico hold free trade negotiations

8-Dec-2007 Korea.net

Korea and Mexico held their first round of negotiations this week on a free trade agreement aimed at tearing down market barriers between the two countries

Bush wields Colombia trade deal to halt Venezuela

8-Dec-2007 AFP

Bush is now presenting the FTA to Congress as the main US policy tool to halt the influence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

Peru free trade agreement is disaster for farmers everywhere

7-Dec-2007 Topeka Capital Journal

The same international grain traders who dumped below-cost grain into Mexico after NAFTA, driving over a million farmers off the land and fueling illegal migration into the United States, will now do the same in Peru.

CARICOM leaders again negotiate with EU

7-Dec-2007 Prensa Latina

The complexity of the negotiations of an Accord of Economic Association with the European Union will mobilize the Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Friday, for the third time in the last two months.

Trade row casts shadow over EU-Africa summit

7-Dec-2007 IC

A row over new trade rules risks souring the mood at this weekend’s EU-Africa summit and underlines the problems Europe faces in forging new relations with its former colonies, according to analysts.

Japan aide urges US Congress approve Korea trade deal

7-Dec-2007 IHT

Japan hopes the US Congress will approve a free trade deal with South Korea that it believes could be a "building block" toward a larger US-East Asian free trade zone, a Japanese official said on Thursday.

Short end of stick for Peru farmers

7-Dec-2007 Prensa Latina

The Peruvian government’s happiness was contrasted today by the solemnity of agrarian producers after the ratification of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement by the US Senate.

Best safety net is complete rejection of JPEPA

7-Dec-2007

Philippines government negotiators now finally acknowledge that the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) will have adverse effects, hence the need for “safety nets”. But no amount of safety nets will be enough precisely because Japan’s intention is to create conditions for the maximum exploitation of the Philippines’ natural and human resources through JPEPA.

EU-SADC interim FTA (2007)

7-Dec-2007

Initialled by Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique on 23 November 2007

EU-Pacific interim FTA (2007)

7-Dec-2007

Initialled by Papua New Guinea and Fiji on 23 November 2007