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Korean, Malaysian auto barriers pose trade negotiation challenge
3-May-2006    
Opening up trade in autos poses a major challenge in free-trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with South Korea and Malaysia, experts in the United States say.
Aziz links free trade to Kashmir
3-May-2006     Daily Times
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday that free trade with India was not possible without resolving political disputes.
An ugly side of free trade: Sweatshops in Jordan
3-May-2006     New York Times
Propelled by a free trade agreement with the United States, apparel manufacturing is booming in Jordan, its exports to America soaring twentyfold in the last five years. But some foreign workers in Jordanian factories that produce garments for Target, Wal-Mart and other American retailers are complaining of dismal conditions - of 20-hour days, of not being paid for months and of being hit by supervisors and jailed when they complain.
No benefit from free trade deals - PIDS
2-May-2006     The Daily Tribune
Policymakers should realize that free trade agreements (FTAs) are neither necessary nor sufficient for economic growth, Dr. Josef Yap, president of the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said in a study.
Doha Round faces collapse as talks are suspended
2-May-2006     AllAfrica.com
Most trade experts believe that if a tentative deal cannot be agreed in the next few months, there will not be time to complete the details and gain approval in the US. If this happens, it would be the first time that the world trade talks have stalled, and may lead to a world which is increasingly divided into protectionist trade blocs.
Bolivian president calls for creation of Anti-imperialist Community of Nations
2-May-2006     Political Affairs Magazine
Before an audience of more than 25,000 gathered at Havana's Revolution Square, which coincided with the signing of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) agreement one year ago between Cuba and Venezuela, Bolivia officially joined the regional integration agreement through its Peoples Trade Agreement (TCP).
Analysis: Is time running out for a Thai-US free trade agreement?
2-May-2006     The Nation
US officials in charge of negotiating a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) in Bangkok may not admit they have given up. But the protracted political stalemate in Thailand has made it almost impossible to conclude talks this year before the expiration of the US fast-track authority, which is crucial for Washington's endorsement of any trade agreement.
El Salvador keen on trade deal with Qatar
1-May-2006     The Peninsula
El Salvador, the world's top coffee producer, is keen to sign a free trade agreement with Qatar.
EU commissioner: Venezuelan withdrawal from CAN complicates free trade agreement
30-Apr-2006     VHeadline
The European Community (EU) has announced that Venezuela's withdrawal from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) will have a negative effect on planned free trade agreements.
Kaesong goods to be included in ASEAN FTA
30-Apr-2006     Korea Times
ASEAN's free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea would recognize products made in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the inter-Korean project, as South Korean products. This is in stark contrast to the politically sensitive nature of Kaesong in concurrent negotiations for an FTA with the United States.