ISDS Case Map
agriculture | farmers | food
plus livestock, forestry, etc
Farmers from across the Caribbean took to the streets of the St Lucian capital, Castries on Friday to picket top European Union negotiators, who were meeting on the island.
The Fair Trade Alliance blames the Philippine government's trade commitments to the General Agreement on Tariffs Trade, the World Trade Organization and bilateral trade pacts for the problems facing the domestic vegetable industry.
Information sheets from USTR
Thailand has been aggressively negotiating bilateral and regional trade agreements in the face of the uncertainty over whether the WTO will reach a deal on liberalizing global trade. But the agreements fail to live up to expectations of increased trade and investment.
Ambassador Nitya Pibulsonggram, the chief negotiator for the Thailand-US Free Trade Agreement, spoke to AMCHAM members on May 25, 2005 about the importance of the FTA to Thailand.
Last year was the tenth anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and nearly all evaluations of the agreement conceded that the period showed negligible or negative results for Mexico. As the developing country partner of the agreement, Mexico's experience under NAFTA has major implications for other developing nations negotiating FTA's, particularly with the United States.
A mass demonstration -- “Operation Get Up, Stand Up”, in support of the region's vital banana industry -- has been planned for St Lucia to coincide with an important meeting of top European Union negotiators.
Colombia and Peru say 85 percent of the FTA is already negotiated, but representatives from Andean agricultural unions say the other 15 percent is more important. The US ultimatum states the FTA should be signed at the latest on November 20.
Peruvian National Farming Convention (COVENAGRO) chair Luis Zuñiga asserted that his government does not provide protection alternatives to the sector's workers, faced with an eventual Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
Speculation is that negotiations for a US-Andean FTA are nearing completion. House Ag Committee ranking member Collin Peterson of Minnesota says Administration officials may be making similar mistakes to those made in CAFTA.
