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SC JPEPA decision turns Filipino people into beggars of information on critical national issues
21-Jul-2008     SC JPEPA decision turns Filipino people into beggars of information on critical national issues
The Fair Trade Alliance (FairTrade), whose affiliates are among the petitioners on the lack of government transparency in trade negotiations, denounces the cowardly decision of the Supreme Court on the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Said decision upholds the secrecy of executive treaty-making exercise even if such treaty puts Philippine jobs and industries at risk.
Pak-US trade and investment framework agreement has yet to get off the ground
21-Jul-2008     Jang
Back in June 2003, then Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, who had signed the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement on Pakistan's behalf, said that Pakistan hoped the TIFA would eventually lead to a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. But neither at that time nor in all the years since then has there been any promise from the US side to follow-up on a Free Trade Agreement.
Progress made at eighth round of Malaysia-US FTA talks
21-Jul-2008     Bernama
Malaysia and the United States have achieved progress at the eighth round of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with both sides showing willingness to resolve outstanding issues.
NAFTA and the elephant in the room
20-Jul-2008     Tehran Times
The biggest challenge now to our networks is not to centralize the struggle and the critique but to understand our differences. We have a pretty good understanding of the architecture built by NAFTA and added onto in the SPP. We need to continue to work together to analyze its foundations and mainstays.
Chronology - CARIFORUM/EPA agreement
20-Jul-2008     Jamaica Gleaner
In the light of the ongoing debate on the economic partnership agreement (EPA), the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has released a chronology of the CARIFORUM EC/EPA negotiations
'ROK postpones FTA talks over Takeshima reference'
20-Jul-2008     Daily Yomiuri
Talks between Japan and South Korea on resuming negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement have been postponed indefinitely after Seoul said it was unhappy over a reference to the Takeshima islets in school handbooks
Local businesses unhappy with CEPA
20-Jul-2008     Sunday Times
A group of eminent Sri Lankan businesses went public this week objecting to the signing of the Indo-Lanka Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The local businesses are questioning the need for a CEPA agreement and are objecting to the lack of transparency in the process.
Pakistan, Morocco to accelerate work on PTA, FTA
20-Jul-2008     APP
Pakistan and Morocco have agreed to accelerate work on Preferential Trade Agreement and Free Trade Agreement at the conclusion of the First Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission between the two countries held in Rabat on July 17-18, 2008.
SADC not ready for customs union: Tralac
20-Jul-2008     SABC News
Business chambers from southern Africa believe that talk of a single Southern African Development Community (SADC) Customs Union - that would replace the Southern African Customs Unions (SACU) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) - is premature until a SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) is fully in place.
Tomatoes or children?
19-Jul-2008     AFL-CIO Now blog
It is gratifying that our government will go to such lengths to stamp out a dangerous bacterium. It is less encouraging to know that the inspectors were not looking at massive labor rights violations, especially the systematic employment of young children in hazardous conditions, which have existed in the tomato industry for decades.