ISDS Case Map
agriculture | farmers | food
plus livestock, forestry, etc
DR-CAFTA's narrow victory will incite US domestic producers' lobbies to exert heavier pressure to get a US-Panama agreement more favorable to US industry.
The United States is very likely to ask Thailand to further open its market for beef under the two countries' planned free trade area (FTA) agreement, in order to stay competitive with rival Australia.
Bilateral free-trade agreements typically revolve around discussions of quotas and tariffs and the principle of market access for traders. But an even more crucial component is rules of origin. In the end, an agreement without clear, practical and fair rules is nothing but a can of food with no opener _ you know the food is in there, you just can't eat it.
As Japan moves to sign more bilateral Free Trade Agreements, agriculture remains a sticking point with other rice producing nations such as Australia, India and China.
In a showdown that could be a defining moment in President Bush's second term, Congress is preparing to vote this week on the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). And all eyes are on two Republican congressmen from Minnesota.
The US is currently the top supplier to Thailand of agricultural products and the US-Thai FTA is expected "to further open and diversify sales for these and other products, such as beef and pork, to this major market for US farmers and ranchers," a US Department of Commerce statement said.
The likelihood of forging the US-Philippines free trade agreement (FTA) largely hinges on the Philippine agricultural sector in folding into the proposal.
The European Union hopes to reach a free trade agreement with Latin American trade group Mercosur by May 2006. But some Brazilian diplomats said Brazil wishes to delay the signing of the agreement till the end of the Doha round so as to seek more concessions from the EU on issues regarding agricultural products.
Questions regarding opening up the market for sugar imports was a feature of Monday's teleconference involving Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and members of the Thailand delegation.
Local businesses are being urged to set up distribution centres in China to take better advantage of the country's free trade area (FTA) pact with Thailand.
