ISDS Case Map
ASEAN
Six years of negotiations have yet to convince India to sign a much-awaited free trade deal with ASEAN, as scheduled last week during the group's summit. India would only ink a deal after it concludes its April general elections.
What right does the Australian government have to impose a free trade agreement on the peoples of ASEAN, without any sort of systems in place to represent their views or interests (rather than the views or interests of their rulers) in negotiations? And how many Australians want a free trade agreement with vicious, murderous regimes like Burma's military junta anyway?
Australia's red meat and live cattle export trade to South-East Asia received a boost last week, with the signing of a new trade deal.
India needs to expedite a free trade pact with the South-east Asian nations to boost exports in the face of a global economic downturn and rising protectionism, an industry body said on Thursday.
Normally the services chapter of an FTA covers movement of persons from one country to another in order to supply a service. This FTA is unusual because it contains both a chapter on trade in services and a separate chapter, and accompanying schedule of commitments, in respect of the movement of natural persons.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak put on an impressive show in Auckland yesterday as he talked tough about the necessity for world leaders not to fall prey to anti-protectionist forces.
The European Union is willing to begin bilateral free trade talks with Thailand in a process that would move together with existing Asean-EU talks, said Philippe Meyer, the directorate-general for trade at the European Commission. "It takes time for a region to behave like a region. So we need to go faster," he said.
A new 12-member free trade agreement between New Zealand, Australia and the 10 ASEAN countries has not got everybody's stamp of approval. The agreement has been welcomed by groups such as Federated Farmers of New Zealand. However, Auckland University law professor Jane Kelsey says negative aspects of the agreement are being ignored.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations said Sunday it prefers a region to region free trade agreement with the European Union more than bilateral pacts with member countries.
