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Exchange of notes between RP, Japan for Jpepa ‘useless,' says Tañada
8-Sep-2008     Exchange of notes between RP, Japan for Jpepa ‘useless,' says Tañada
FORMER senator and Fair Trade Alliance (FTA) lead convenor Wigberto Tañada labeled the exchange of notes between Manila and Tokyo for the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) as “useless” as it failed to address the numerous constitutional issues that were raised by several sectors against the deal.
RI demands OZ, NZ open up service markets under FTA
8-Sep-2008     Jakarta Post
Indonesia has proposed the liberalization of professional and service sectors in Australia and New Zealand under the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries and ASEAN members.
EPA signing fiasco: a high-stakes gamble
7-Sep-2008     Jamaica Gleaner
As matters stand, Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Belize, The Bahamas and St Vincent have said that they want to sign; St Lucia says it will not; Guyana is holding a public consultation; Grenada wants more time; and there is silence from almost all other Cariforum states. Meanwhile, some opposition parties have publicly disassociated themselves, most notably, in Jamaica and Antigua.
India-EU trade talks to resume ahead of Paris summit
7-Sep-2008     Economic Times
After clinching a deal with ASEAN on a Free Trade Agreement, negotiations will resume this week for a market-opening pact between India and EU, ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy holding their summit talks in Paris later this month.
Proliferation of FTAs in ASEAN may impede business activities
5-Sep-2008    
Asian economic integration is facing some of its toughest challenges in the form of regional diversity and gaps in modernisation.
China, Singapore agree on free trade accord
5-Sep-2008    
China and Singapore concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement, China's first with another Asian country, news reports said Friday. The agreement, finalised in talks this week between Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in the northern coastal Chinese city of Tianjin, is likely to be signed at the Asia Europe Meeting Summit in Beijing Oct 24-25.
The Doha deal breaker
5-Sep-2008     Gulf Times
In our free trade gone-wild world, property rights are being applied in areas where they have never before existed and may not pertain (such as intellectual products, services, biodiversity, genetics), and governments have not learned to use their sovereignty to advance multilateralism for both their individual interests and the global common good. There must be a new starting point, based on the recognition of an added dimension in world trade -- the realisation that some goods are private (commercial), some are public (governmental), and others are common (for the benefit of people everywhere).
Bilateral trade-off
5-Sep-2008     WSJ
The latest sign that the postwar era of "multilateral" trade liberalization has ended came last week in Singapore.
Some senators considering JPEPA renegotiation
5-Sep-2008     Inquirer.net
A number of Philippine senators are considering calling for a renegotiation of the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) as a “way out” of the debate over the pact
Dominica to sign EU trade agreement, avoid tariffs
5-Sep-2008     IHT
Dominica says it will sign a trade agreement with the European Union despite opposition from other Caribbean leaders.