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One man protests against FTA agreement
17-Oct-2007 China Daily
A farmer carries a model pig during his one-man protest in front of the hotel where South Korean-EU free trade talks are being held in Seoul
India, West Africa to tighten bilateral ties
17-Oct-2007 Mathaba
India decided on October 16 to extend a line of credit of 250 million USD and 100 million USD worth of agricultural and industrial supplying for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It also agreed to sign within the next six months a bilateral investment promotion and protection treaty with Nigeria.
WIDE consultation: ’Bilateral and regional trade agreements and gender’
16-Oct-2007 WIDE
WIDE organises a one-day consultation on EU bilateral and regional free trade agreements and gender. This day aims at providing space for critical reflection and debate on opportunities, challenges, strategies and diverse policy options related to gender and EU trade liberalisation.
Cuba, Venezuela strengthen economic ties
16-Oct-2007 Reuters
Cuba and Venezuela signed a raft of economic accords on Monday aimed at furthering cooperation under the Bolivian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), including plans for nickel and oil development and a billion-dollar petrochemical complex in Cuba.
East African states to shield domestic industries in EU trade pact
16-Oct-2007 Angola Press
East African Ministers of Trade on Friday agreed to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) with the European Union as a bloc before embarking on detailed negotiations with the Eastern and Southern Africa states.
Amnesty: NZ too scared to push rights with China
16-Oct-2007 Epoch Times
New Zealand negotiators have been accused of being ’too scared’ to bring up human rights with China’s communist officials during free trade discussions.
Last chance for Japan deal
15-Oct-2007 Manila Standard
The Philippine Senate will hold one more public hearing on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement to give the executive branch a last chance to refute the objections raised by various groups against the treaty and their argument that it is heavily lopsided in favor of Japan.
Sign-on petition statement vs JPEPA
15-Oct-2007
Please join this appeal to the Philippine Senate to reject the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) before 3 November 2007.
No port, no sherry and no 15m euros
15-Oct-2007 Business Report
In return for free access to the EU and payment of €15 million, the South African government agreed to phase out the names port, sherry, grappa and ouzo over five years. Five years later, disillusionment and frustration has set in, with port producers in fear that the EU will renege on the agreement.
Korea, EU open 4th round of free trade talks
15-Oct-2007 Korea.net
The EU is demanding that Korea match reductions on beef and car-import tariffs that it granted the US in June.
India, Brazil, South Africa - the power of three
15-Oct-2007 IPS
IBSA was conceived in 2003 to counterbalance the powerful Group of Eight alliance of industrialised countries and to promote South-South cooperation. But a reality check reveals that all three IBSA members still do by far most of their business with industrialised countries.
Farmers: JPEPA is anti-Filipino
14-Oct-2007 SunStar
In the series of consultations made by the Philippine Peasant Institute (PPI) with farmers, most of them believe that it is anti-Filipino, anti-farmer, and contrary to the Constitution.
SAfrica won’t ’roll over’ on services trade with EU
14-Oct-2007 Reuters
The European Union needs to scale down its ambitions for accessing the service sector in southern Africa as it negotiates an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the region, said South Africa’s deputy trade minister Rob Davies.
Dominican Republic and Taiwan to sign trade accord soon
14-Oct-2007 Dominican Today
Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian said he hopes Taiwan and the Dominican Republic will sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as soon as possible to benefit enterprises in both countries.
First Pakistan-EFTA meeting concludes: Negotiations to continue in 2008
14-Oct-2007 Daily Times
Pakistan and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have entered into a market access dialogue
Zimbabwe: White farmers appeal to Sadc
13-Oct-2007 AllAfrica.com
The last remaining white commercial farmers have appealed to the regional Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Tribunal in an effort to stop government from expropriating their properties.
Costa Rica’s CAFTA “Si” vote called into question
13-Oct-2007 Upside Down World
While free trade proponents cheered, opponents called foul in Costa Rica’s 51.5 percent vote Oct. 7 in favor of ratifying the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).
Debate rages as Jpepa stirs up a hornet’s nest
13-Oct-2007
Various groups around the Philippines have come out with guns blazing, claiming that the proposed Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement will only harm farmers in the countryside.
Free-trade fight reflects broader battle
12-Oct-2007 Washington Post
The vote was barely 24 hours away when President Bush’s aides held an emergency conference call at 10:45 p.m. last Friday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid had sent a letter that could sink a US-led free trade agreement up for referendum in Costa Rica. The Bush team decided to put out its own statement to save it. The trade pact went on to pass narrowly Sunday, but the last-minute drama capped a furious few weeks in which the White House and Congress fought a proxy war in the tiny Central American nation.
Protest US intervention and dirty campaign in Costa Rican CAFTA Referendum
12-Oct-2007 Upside Down World
Take action from October 15-20 to demand that the Costa Rica referendum results NOT be certified by the OAS