corporate interests


US firms urge Washington to cultivate Asia-Pacific links
The Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers is urging the Obama administration, while AmCham Philippines is lobbying the Macapagal Arroyo government, to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade area
AMCHAM presses Obama on FTA
The Obama administration and the US Congress should approve and implement the still un-ratified Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) as early as possible, and consider how the business community can help respond to potential humanitarian crises in North Korea, two major US business lobby groups closely linked to Korea said Tuesday.
Minister heads to China in search of FTA and global food security agreement
Australia is seeking undertakings from China to work collaboratively on supporting global food supplies and to accelerate negotiations to forge a free trade agreement that delivers benefits for Australia's farming, fishing and forestry industries.
Will Dow challenge Quebec pesticide law?
Dow AgroSciences is mulling over a NAFTA challenge to Quebec's law banning the cosmetic use of pesticides, setting a spotlight on one of the most controversial clauses of the trade agreement among Canada, the United States and Mexico.
EU Commission Manufactured African Business Support for EPAs
Internal email communication by DG Trade obtained by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) unveils how the EU Commission has actively orchestrated African business support for its Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. MEPs will vote on the EPA negotiations at their sitting in Strasbourg today and tomorrow.
AIG suing taxpayers for its own Panama tax dodging
Under the Panama FTA, AIG-Panama would be able to sue the US taxpayer for cash damages by claiming common regulatory actions were "tantamount" to an ("indirect") "expropriation."
Pro-free trade groups put together broad coalition
After years of watching the anti-free trade groups put together remarkably broad coalitions, the pro-free trade side in the US is striking back.
FTA with China and Rio deal 'not linked'
A free trade deal between China and Australia won't be conditional on the government giving the green light to Chinalco's grab for a bigger share of Rio Tinto, Trade Minister Simon Crean says.
Who are the cleared advisors that have access to secret ACTA documents?
According to USTR, all of the members of the 27 USTR trade advisory committees are cleared to see the classified documents in the ACTA negotiations. This blog entry lists more than a hundred, but it is only a partial list of the several hundred lobbyist who are considered "cleared advisors."
USIBC wants Bilateral Investment Treaty between India & US
The US India Business Council, which played a key role in the passage of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, wants the Obama administration to take the relationship between the two countries to the next level by signing a bilateral investment treaty, among other things.