Bilateral & Regional Trade

Rising tide of trade to sink Pacific

Despite the interest in the lead up to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Cairns, the decision to commence trade negotiations barely made a mention in the news in the wake of the meeting.

European Union urged to reconsider its role in Central America

Original Publication Date: 
1 July, 2009
Source: 
Friends of the Earth International

Versión española abajo.

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release: Wednesday July 1, 2009

*****
EUROPEAN UNION URGED TO RECONSIDER ITS ROLE IN CENTRAL AMERICA
*****

Trade Act provides road map to new American trade model

Original Publication Date: 
29 June, 2009
Source: 
Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch
WOW - when's the last time 106 congressional Representatives - 9 full committee chairs and 40 subcommittee chairs included - were original cosponsors of any legislation, much less agreed on a new way forward on the contentious issue of trade?

Biggest emitters fail to show the way forward

Original Publication Date: 
10 June, 2009
Source: 
Financial Times

Kathrin Hille in Beijing and Edward Luce in Washington

China and the US failed to achieve a breakthrough at their latest round of
climate talks on Wednesday, raising the stakes in the global effort to fight
global climate change.

The two countries responsible for almost half of the world¹s greenhouse gas
emissions ended three days of negotiations in Beijing.

While there are still months to go until the December meeting in Copenhagen,
where 181 countries, led by the United Nations, plan to work out a new

Call to Indian Government: No WTO-Doha compromise

Original Publication Date: 
18 June, 2009
Source: 
Focus on the Global South
Date: 18 June, 2009 Dear Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh, As the newly formed UPA coalition government is just settling in to govern for the next five years, there is news that Commerce Minister Anand Sharma is already on his way to the United States (US) to bilaterally iron out differences to seal the trade deal that was launched during the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 4th Ministerial Meeting in Doha. At stake in these trade negotiations are hundreds of millions of livelihoods in the farming and non-agriculture sectors that India has fought hard to preserve over the past eight years since the launch of the Doha Development Round.

TRIPS and FTAs have adverse impact on access to drugs

Original Publication Date: 
4 June, 2009
Source: 
SUNS #6712

TRIPS and FTAs have adverse impact on access to drugs

Geneva, 3 Jun (Kanaga Raja) -- The WTO TRIPS Agreement and the TRIPS-plus
provisions in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have had an adverse impact on
prices and availability of medicines, making it difficult for countries to
comply with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to
health, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Mr Anand Grover,
said on Tuesday.

Canadians ask Federal Government to Halt Ratification of Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement in Light of Peruvian Police Massacre of Indigenous Protesters

Original Publication Date: 
10 June, 2009
Source: 
Council of Canadians
Non-governmental organizations are urgently asking Canadians to write to senators, MPs and the Prime Minister to express their outrage at the police massacre of peaceful Indigenous protesters in Peru, and to demand that the Canadian government halt its implementation of the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is now before the Senate as Bill C-24.

Australia: Don't Push PACER

Original Publication Date: 
9 June, 2009
Source: 
AFTINET
Next week, Australia's Trade Minister Simon Crean will attend the Pacific Island Forum Trade Ministers Meeting in Apia, Samoa.

EU stumbles on Canada's internal barriers: Talk ramp up

Original Publication Date: 
15 May, 2009
Source: 
Financial Post
The historic free-trade negotiations between Canada and the European Union were launched to much fanfare this month, but reaching a deal between the 27-country economic bloc and the provincially dominated federation of Canada will not be a walk in the park.

Canada-Colombia Trade Deal Removed from Canadian Government's Legislative Agenda

Original Publication Date: 
1 June, 2009
Source: 
Canadian Centre for International Cooperation
As a result of increasing parliamentary and public concern, Bill C-23, the implementing legislation for the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), has been removed from the Canadian government's current legislative agenda.

Standing Firm and Acting Together Against EPAs!

Original Publication Date: 
1 March, 2009

The Africa Trade Network, the broadest, longest -standing network of African social, labour, women’s, faith-based, developmental, environmental, farmers, human rights and other organisations, dealing with the role and effects of international trade and trade agreements in relation to Africa’s needs and aspirations at local, national regional and continental levels, had its 11 Annual Review and Strategy meeting in Accra, Ghana, from 25 to 28 August 2008.

S2B Letter to Martin Ríman, EU President

Original Publication Date: 
1 March, 2009

 
The Seattle to Brussels Network (S2B) would like to welcome you in the EU Presidency. We hope
that we will be able to build a constructive dialogue around the EU trade policy – in the direction of
a trade policy that puts people and the environment first.

Get to the truth about the SPP: A 4 part series of downloadable, educational Fact Sheets

Original Publication Date: 
12 April, 2007
Source: 
Common Frontiers
Common Frontiers announces a new resource to help cut through the spin and clutter around the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) - a

Bush Administration Provides Partial Korea FTA To Congress

Original Publication Date: 
5 April, 2007
Source: 
Inside US Trade
The Bush Administration mid-week provided Congress parts of the text for the newly concluded free trade agreement with Korea but has not committed to a deadline of when it will provide the full text, according to congressional aides.

Korea-U.S. FTA Concluded against the Will of the Korean People; People’s Protest Goes On

Original Publication Date: 
4 April, 2007
Source: 
No FTA Newsletter (Korean Alliance Against the Korea-U.S. FTA)
On Sunday April 1 at 4:00pm , taxi driver and KCTU member Heo Sae-wook stood before the Nam San Hyatt Hotel, where that final high-level FTA negotiations were taking place, and lit himself on fire chanting, 'Down with the Korea-U.S. FTA'.

Statement in Protest of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement

Original Publication Date: 
2 April, 2007
Source: 
Korean Americans for Fair Trade
At the eleventh hour, the United States and South Korea signed the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (Korus FTA), the second largest free trade deal since NAFTA. President Bush and big business claim victory, but democracy has lost.

SKorea and US reach free trade agreement

Original Publication Date: 
1 April, 2007
Source: 
Yahoo Asia
The United States and South Korea on Monday reached a major free trade agreement expected to boost both countries' exports by billions of dollars and rejuvenate the Korean economy.

Civic Groups Show Mixed Reaction to South Korea-US Fta Deal

Original Publication Date: 
1 April, 2007
Source: 
Yahoo Asia News
A landmark South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) on Monday drew mixed responses among civic groups here, with opponents vowing an all-out campaign to prevent it from being passed by the National Assembly and proponents welcoming it as a means of boosting growth.

TWN Analysis on the Proposed Malaysia-US FTA

Original Publication Date: 
28 March, 2007
Source: 
Third World Network (TWN)
Third World Network (TWN) prepares an analysis on the Malaysia-US FTA looking at the implications of the agreement on the various economic sectors in Malaysia as well as on the society as a whole.

Debunking Five Myths About the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA)

Original Publication Date: 
22 March, 2007
Source: 
Oakland Institute
Over the next two weeks, Korean and U.S. trade negotiators plan to meet behind closed doors with hopes of reaching an agreement on the KorUS FTA before March 31 deadline.