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Nobel Economist Stiglitz criticises EPA
10-Jul-2008     GNA
Professor Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Laureate in Economics, on Tuesday urged the government of Ghana to "take a cold hard look" at the Economic Partnership Agreement and negotiate its inimical aspects away, saying that the deal was not free but an extremely managed trade agreement.
Stop the EU taking the Caribbean for a ride
10-Jul-2008     Caribbean Net News
It has become patently evident that the European Union is taking the Caribbean for a ride over the Economic Partnership Agreement initialled last December. The Caribbean has to stop the ride and renegotiate the deeply troubling aspects of the EPA before any signing takes place.
Youth group slams crackdown on protesters at G8
9-Jul-2008     GMANews
Militant Filipino youths scored Tuesday what they called the repression against protesters at the G-8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, and demanded the release of the arrested protesters. In a letter to Japanese ambassador Makoto Katsura dated July 8, the youths also reiterated their opposition to the Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
SKorea, Gulf states agree to forge free trade deal next year
9-Jul-2008     AFP
South Korea and six Gulf states agreed Wednesday to forge a free trade deal by the end of next year, a chief negotiator from the Seoul side said.
Wiroon: Thai-Indian FTA set to expand
9-Jul-2008     Bangkok Post
Thailand hopes to ratify a full free-trade agreement with India within this year if the political situations in the two countries don't change, according to Deputy Commerce Minister Wiroon Techapaiboon.
Intellectual property in the EPA: broad scope, huge impact - Part 1
9-Jul-2008     Jamaica Observer
The historic Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) skilfully brokered last December between the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) and the European Community (EC) is impressively wide in its scope, but the impact of its implementation in countries such as Jamaica is still largely unexplored.
Costa Rica: EU not interested in free-trade agreement
9-Jul-2008     Tico Times
Costa Rican officials announced they are not satisfied with the market opening proposal issued by the European Union (EU) prior to the beginning of the fourth round of negotiations for an eventual EU-Central America agreement. Costa Rican trade officials stated that they “do not perceive an interest on the part of the Europeans to advance the process.”
Free trade's false promises
9-Jul-2008     The Guardian
According to new estimates by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, the US-Colombia free trade agreement will actually make Colombia worse off by up to $75m or one-tenth of 1% of its GDP.
Peru farmers block roads, Machu Picchu rail
9-Jul-2008     Reuters
Peruvian farmers angry at President Alan Garcia's free-trade policies began a two-day strike on Tuesday, snarling traffic in the country's interior and closing rail service to the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu.
Intellectual property in the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement
8-Jul-2008     CIEL
Written by Luis Alonso Garcia, former head negotiator for Peru for the Intellectual Property Chapter of the FTA with the United States, this paper examines the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement as an example of the challenges and opportunities, especially for civil society participation, presented by such negotiations.