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Across the board

This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012

The US-Japan trade deal could undermine the WTO
23-Oct-2019     Atlantic Council
If the United States and others following in its footsteps begin to negotiate agreements that cut tariffs on a significantly smaller scope of products, the WTO might confront a gradual erosion of one of its central tenets—most favored nation.
Why is Iceland the focus of Washington’s new trade strategy?
24-Sep-2019     Safe Haven
A free trade deal with Iceland has an important benefit: It’s part of a broader plan to boost America’s presence in the Arctic region as a bulwark against Russia and China.
Trump races for trade deals with Japan and India as China fight persists
18-Sep-2019     New York Times
The Trump administration is racing to announce limited trade deals with Japan and India, as President Trump tries to score some wins amid a protracted trade fight with China
Turkey, US to hold talks on free trade agreement, Erdoğan says
11-Sep-2019     Daily Sabah
Turkish President announced that he and his US counterpart agreed to kick start free trade agreement talks and that officials from both nations will shortly begin preparations.
How unique are preferential trade agreements?
25-Jul-2019     Live Mint
A large portion of the content of preferential trade agreements is copied word for word from earlier agreements, finds a study
Trump's 'America First' policy driving other countries to ink trade deals, analysts say
12-Jul-2019     Washington Times
Europe, Asia, Africa rush to nail down accords
Quantifying the policy space for regulating capital flows in trade and investment treaties
10-Apr-2019     The Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four
The international trade and investment treaty regime is increasingly restricting the policy space for regulating cross-border financial flows, study finds.
Call for mobilization to defend our alternatives against the G7
3-Apr-2019     Alternatives G7
France is the host country of the next G7 meeting to be held in Biarritz from 24 to 26 August 2019. Actions are planned during the week preceding this summit, from 19 to 23 August.
How insane is global trade?
26-Mar-2019     Local Futures
The way trade works in the global economy can be insane – it wastes resources, worsens climate change, and undermines the livelihoods of millions of small-scale producers worldwide.
Why free trade is bad for you (or most of you at any rate)
13-Mar-2019     Common Dreams
Free trade is simply a euphemism for the corporate capture of international trade.