ISDS Case Map
ASEAN
The Department of Trade and Industry has intensified its information campaign about the country's free trade agreements in a bid to increase their utilization rate this year.
The first round of free trade agreement talks between Vietnam and Korea kicked off on Monday in Seoul. During the talks that will continue until Tuesday, the two countries will discuss how to proceed with the negotiations.
Seoul's foreign ministry expects the bilateral trade pact to enhance an existing free trade agreement with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that took effect in 2007.
The agreement reached Thursday to start negotiations in November for a new regional economic and trade area among ASEAN countries and six partners, including Japan, is a lifeline for the nation, as its trade policy has come to an impasse.
Sixteen nations home to roughly half the world's population have agreed "in principle" to create a free trade area spanning Asia, according to Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan.
Trade ministers of India and 10-member ASEAN will review the progress of ongoing negotiations to widen the base of free trade agreement between them by including services and investments.
East Asia may be on its way to stitch a regional trade agreement. This will be at the cost of an Asia-wide deal, writes Biswajit Dhar.
Korea and Vietnam have agreed to start formal talks toward a free trade agreement. Seoul and Hanoi already have a preliminary FTA, because Korea signed a trade pact with ASEAN. But Korea’s key exports — cars, components and IT products — are not included in the pact with ASEAN, so Seoul is now seeking separate FTAs with each ASEAN member country.
The government will soon start consultations to identify sectors that stand to gain or lose from a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), a senior official told reporters on Friday.
If Hong Kong accedes to the China-Asean Free Trade Area (CAFTA), Malaysia would find opportunities to expand its services sector through Hong Kong’s established service-based economy.
Korea is stepping up efforts to seal high-level bilateral free trade pacts with some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in a bid to further boost trade volume, Seoul’s Trade Ministry said Sunday.
