bilateralism & multilateralism

how bilateral, multilateral, regional, unilateral and plurilateral approaches relate (e.g. FTAs vis-à-vis WTO)

Japan pushing JPEPA due to WTO collapse
The collapse of the World Trade Organization (WTO) talks last week are pushing Japan to become even more aggressive in seeking bilateral and regional trade deals that advance its big corporate interests.
CKUT - Off the hour - collapse of WTO talks
Interview with Aziz Choudry on the collapse of WTO talks in Geneva, and what's happening with FTAs, aired on CKUT Radio's Off the Hour, Tuesday edition, 5 August 2008.
Former USTRs talk trade
Four former architects of US trade policy, sharing nearly 20 years of negotiating experience between them and spanning three administrations, laid out to Congress last week their blueprints for a future agenda.
Spotlight turns to EPA's as Doha talks fail
With the failure of the Doha development round trade talks fresh in everyone's minds, the focus now shifts to the equally controversial Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA's).
Trade winds are not blowing our way
The World Trade Organisation negotiations to conclude the Doha trade round have broken down. Although Commerce Minister Kamal Nath prefers to treat it as a “pause, not a breakdown”, the prospects for salvaging them are dismal.
Collapse of WTO talks likely to trigger more FTAs
With a free trade deal under the World Trade Organization now appearing unlikely to be struck in the foreseeable future, a number of countries are expected to gear up for further enhancing free trade agreements on a bilateral or regional basis to expand their overseas markets, analysts said Wednesday.
S Korea to push forward bilateral FTA deals after WTO talks collapse
South Korea will push forward bilateral free trade agreements as the global trade talks under the World Trade Organization finished without progress, South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Ahn Ho-young said Wednesday
Australia signs free trade deal with Chile
The collapse of the World Trade Organisation talks has prompted forecasts of a proliferation of bi-lateral free trade deals, such as that signed by Australia and Chile today. Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean said the FTA is a "high-quality agreement where commitments go beyond" what each country had committed at the WTO.
New Zealand firms urge bilateral trade pacts after WTO failure
New Zealand business organisations urged their government on Wednesday to negotiate more bilateral and regional free trade pacts following the collapse of the World Trade Organisation talks in Geneva.
Canada to turn to bilateral agreements after WTO trade talks collapse
The federal government says it will aggressively go after bilateral trade deals with other countries after the collapse of nine days of talks on a comprehensive global trade agreement.