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Mazda to start selling cars in Mexico; planned FTA helps
12-Dec-2004 Wall Street Journal
Mazda Motor Corp. has set up a new unit in Mexico to start selling vehicles there, taking advantage of the scheduled implementation of a free trade agreement between Japan and Mexico next year.
Taiwan, Guatemala begin FTA talks
11-Dec-2004 CNA
Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh signed a free trade agreement (FTA) consultation framework Tuesday with her counterpart from Guatemala, Marcio Cuevas, and began their first meeting on FTA issues.
S. Korea, US to hold preliminary meeting to explore FTA
11-Dec-2004 Yonhap
South Korea and the United States will hold working level meetings early next year to explore the feasibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries
The proposed US-SACU FTA: Comparison with FTAA, CAFTA, US-Chile and US-Singapore
11-Dec-2004
Many civic organizations in the SACU region and the US, especially the labor unions, as well as other governments within Southern Africa note many possible disadvantages to the proposed US-SACU FTA.
India: Bilateral pacts to go beyond trade
11-Dec-2004 Indian Express
In a major policy shift, the government has decided to convert all preferential/free trade agreements (PFA/FTA) into comprehensive economic cooperation agreements (Ceca).
ROC economics minister meets with US official, senator
10-Dec-2004
Visiting Republic of China Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh met with Deputy US Trade Representative Josette Sheeran Shiner Thursday to discuss matters of mutual concern. Ho, who arrived in Washington, D.C. Wednesday to lobbying support for the signing of Taiwan-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA), said her meeting with Shiner marked a good start for Taiwan’s FTA drive.
Pak wants free trade with US, China, Latin states: Humayun
10-Dec-2004
Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan has said Pakistan wanted free trade with the United States, China and Latin states and would soon sign accords with them in this regard.
US promises to begin talks on FTA soon: Humayun
10-Dec-2004
Humayun Akhtar Khan, the federal commerce minister, said on Thursday that the United States has promised to initiate negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) with Islamabad soon.
Trade negotiating power likely to be extended, USTR says
10-Dec-2004 US Embassy Tokyo
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick predicts that Congress will allow a two-year extension of President Bush’s trade negotiating authority to go forward, giving more time to conclude World Trade Organization negotiations as well as bilateral and regional negotiations.
Thailand: Bilateral FTA deals pivotal to govt policy
10-Dec-2004 The Nation
The initiation of bilateral free-trade agreements with countries all around the world has become one of the foreign policy cornerstones of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s government.
FTA with Thailand opens can of worms for automakers
10-Dec-2004 AAN
The Japanese government has urged Thailand to lift tariffs on car imports as part of its efforts to conclude a free trade agreement. At the same time, Japanese automakers, whose affiliated firms take up most of the Thai auto market, are cautious about the FTA because it could cause fierce competition between the same Japanese car models.
Govt cautioned not to rush FTAs
10-Dec-2004 Nation
Proponents and opponents of free-trade agreements stood firm Tuesday on their respective positions, while a government adviser warned against completing negotiations in haste.
Agriculture reforms go against Korea’s grain
10-Dec-2004 Asia Times
In excluding agriculture from FTA negotiations, the South Korean government is setting itself up for even greater domestic backlash when multilateral negotiations pry open a sector insulated from any form of competition.
Singapore and Thailand top lists of completed FTAs
7-Dec-2004 ANN
Singapore and Thailand have emerged as the two Asian countries with the highest number of completed free trade agreements (FTA), according to Asia News Network reports.
Japan, Philippines FTA shows foreign worker hurdles
7-Dec-2004 Reuters AlterNet
Japan and the Philippines on Monday clinched a broad free trade agreement (FTA) that would include letting a trickle of nurses into Japan to help cope with a shortage.
EIU: Free-trade free-for-all
7-Dec-2004 EIU ViewsWire
If proof were needed that an Asian free-trade "arms race" has begun in earnest, then the 10th ASEAN summit in Vientiane on November 29th-30th provided it in abundance. The highlight of the summit was the signing of an FTA between China and ASEAN, but equally striking was the number of other trade pacts that were, variously, agreed, worked on or proposed during the meeting in the Lao capital.
India, WTO lock horns over FTAs
6-Dec-2004
India made it clear on Monday that it would aggressively push for more regional trade agreements, though it attached importance to the multilateral trading system.
Algeria set to join WTO, sign US free trade agreement
6-Dec-2004
“Our economy is based too much on hydrocarbons. We must diversify our economy. If not, Algeria will become lost in the global marketplace,” Abdelhamid Temmar, chief economic counsel to President Abdelaziz Bouteflila, said last week during meetings with finance and trade leaders in Washington.
Net giants seek to change FTA rules
6-Dec-2004 The Australian
Australia’s largest internet service providers have made an 11th-hour bid to amend the free trade agreement with the US, claiming it would expose them to an avalanche of litigation.
Investment: The rising tide of South-South investment agreements
6-Dec-2004 South Centre
Agreements on investments between developing countries have increased substantially in both number and geographical coverage over the past decade, according to UNCTAD data released on 23 November 2004.