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Editorial: Asian FTA negotiations: It’s up to Tokyo to set a positive example
26-Apr-2005 Asahi Shumbun
The Thailand-Japan free trade agreement will be counterproductive in Japan’s trade negotiations with other countries in the days ahead.
Sound CAFTA alarm bells
26-Apr-2005 Bangor News
International trade agreements are boring. Mention the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in most social settings and people’s eyes glaze over. The pros and cons of NAFTA, and now CAFTA, debate trade-offs between tariffs, consumer prices and job growth or loss. Since most of us are not economists, these discussions seem tedious and complicated.
United States pursues more free-trade agreements in the Middle East
26-Apr-2005 Daily Star
Trying to entrench its economic and political ties in the region, and blaming the Gulf Cooperation Council’s slowness in devising region-wide economic measures, the United States is aggressively pursuing a number of free-trade agreements in this part of the Middle East.
Thailand-US FTA: "Whatever we have to sacrifice must be sacrificed, if that helps get a better deal"
26-Apr-2005 Focus
The third round of Thailand-US free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations ended on 8 April with great disappointment for civil society activists because people’s demand and concerns were cast aside.
EHP reaps fruit of its success
26-Apr-2005 China Daily
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are making encouraging progress with the early harvest programme (EHP), which the two economies launched in January 2004.
Proliferation of bilateral FTAs will not undermine WTO process
26-Apr-2005 Bernama
The proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) will not undermine the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) process but instead may smoothen it, Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said.
Filipinos protest lopsided Japan-RP deal; demand disclosure of Japan-RP trade negotiations
26-Apr-2005 Manila IMC
The SNR Coalition scored today the ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreeement between the Japan and Philippine governments called Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) which was to be completed and signed in July of this year.
The regional free trade juggernaut - A poisoned chalice
25-Apr-2005
Last week saw both the signing of a Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and Thailand and another round of negotiations with Chile and Singapore on a Closer Economic Partnership, (P-3) probably now ’successfully’ concluded. "Yet few New Zealanders know about these agreements and their negative implications for many of the worst off citizens in all the countries involved", says the Action Research and Education Network of Aotearoa (ARENA).
Singapore, Brunei, Chile and NZ complete 5th round of FTA talks
25-Apr-2005
Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Brunei have completed their fifth round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
Japan-Malaysia economic pact may be signed in December
23-Apr-2005 The Star
Malaysia and Japan are close to agreeing in principle the issues related to trade talks and other matters negotiated under the Japan-Malaysia Economic Partnership Agreement (JMEPA).
AIDS patients see life, death issues in trade pact
23-Apr-2005 LA Times
Public health experts fear that hope might fade for thousands of the region’s chronically ill if the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, known as CAFTA, is approved this year.
Mexican industrialists want FTA with India
22-Apr-2005
Calling for a boost in bilateral trade between India and Mexico, a visiting delegation of Mexican industrialists on Thursday floated the idea of having a Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Vegie growers face $500m a year FTA loss
22-Apr-2005
Vegetable growers stood to lose $500 million a year and 5,000 jobs if Australia struck a free trade deal with China, the industry says.
Japan settles for ’low-risk, low-return’ FTA goals
22-Apr-2005 Japan Times
Prudish about bilateral free-trade agreements just five years ago, Tokyo is now fielding partnership requests from 25 economies and regional blocs. But there is no denying an element of haphazardness in the way it is selecting some of the candidates.
China FTA could harm fruit and veg growers
22-Apr-2005 ABC
The South Australian Farmers Federation (SAFF) says the introduction of a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA)with China could decimate the state’s horticulture industry.
Singapore, South African Customs Union to discuss FTA
22-Apr-2005 Channel News Asia
Singapore and the South African Customs Union will begin talks on a free trade agreement later this year.
Farmers want guarantee on Japan FTA
22-Apr-2005 ABC
The National Farmers Federation says a free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and Japan would be counterproductive if it did not include agriculture
Statement of Farabundo Martí National Liberation Party
22-Apr-2005 House and Ways Committee
The FMLN rejects the mercantilist logic of the “free trade” agreements. A critical analysis of the CAFTA texts reveals the many negative impacts of the agreement, which would have on the daily life of the people and ecosystems of our countries—especially on women and impoverished families—as national sovereignty is eroded, legal frameworks are corrupted, and the neo-liberal nature of public policy is reinforced.
Brazil says no to US plan for hemispheric free trade
21-Apr-2005 Canadian Press
Clinching a deal for a 34-country free-trade zone that would stretch from Alaska to Argentina is "off the agenda" for Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday.
Agriculture must be in Japan FTA: Labor
21-Apr-2005
There is no point proceeding with a feasibility study into a free trade agreement between Australia and Japan if agriculture is excluded from the deal, Labor says.