Despite the expected challenges, Seoul will push for certain exemptions over sensitive agricultural products during the upcoming third round of free trade agreement talks with Washington, the Korean government said.
The recently-signed trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) between the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will sooner or later lead to a free trade agreement (FTA), and this will prove disastrous to the vulnerable sectors of the region, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.
The US is set to conclude an agreement with Southeast Asia this week that is expected to boost free trade and help Americans benefit from a larger East Asian tariff-busting program.
The third round of talks over the Korea-U.S. FTA will be held in Seattle in the United States -a famous battleground of the WTO protests in 1999-from 6th to 9th September.
"Regardless of fierce nation-wide protests, I will dedicate my remaining time in office to realizing the FTA." These words encapsulate the attitude that has seen South Korean President Roh Mu-Hyun and his government become increasingly defensive and isolated in power.
Here's the new U.S. strategy for reviving global trade talks: threaten to cut off sweetheart trade deals with big developing nations like India and Brazil to make them more willing to compromise.
The United States has given a “non paper” to Pakistan that shows some flexibility for signing the much-delayed Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between the two countries soon.
In the wake of the collapse of the Doha talks in the World Trade Organization (WTO), negotiations for the country to enter into an Asia-Pacific free trade agreement (FTA) have become more urgent for industrialized countries. But independent think-tank IBON Foundation warns that entering into an FTA could be even more dangerous than liberalization under the WTO.
During July 27-29, 2006, FTA Watch, GRAIN and Bilaterals.org organized the first ever international workshop to make a strategic analysis of the struggles against FTA in Bangkok, Thailand.
The United States yesterday sharply opposed the idea of commencing text-based negotiations on disclosing the origin of biological resources and 'traditional knowledge' in patent applications (WTD, 5/26/06).
'Policy space', an issue that featured most prominently at the UNCTAD eleventh session in Sao Paulo in 2004, has re-emerged as a burning issue at the UNCTAD Mid-Term Review (MTR) meeting held here this week.
A week-long meeting of the 2006 Mid-Term Review (MTR) of UNCTAD XI started Monday with key delegations and groupings giving their initial positions on the mandate and future role of UNCTAD, including in light of the current United Nations reform process.
Many developing countries and their groupings have declared at a WTO services meeting on new disciplines on domestic regulation that there is no need to establish rules based on a 'necessity test', and that the rules should adequately recognize the developing countries' right to regulate their services.
Tahir Hasnain, Executive Director, EIJIAID Economic Justice and Development Organization
A quick critique on recent US proposal on SSM developed by ActionAid in the light of their recent research project on import surges; also attached is US proposal in this regard.
