ISDS Case Map
Korea
India on Friday expressed its desire for eventually expanding the proposed comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (Ceca) with Asean to a pan-Asian pact covering six more countries including Japan, China, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, aiming at a common economic community in East Asia.
"It is highly likely that the actual formal negotiation between Korea and the U.S. would begin in May, even though the official announcement is to be made in mid-February,'' Korea International Trade Association (KITA) FTA Team head Jeong Jae-hwa said.
South Korea inched closer to launching a free trade deal with the United States Thursday after it agreed to reduce restrictions of its domestic film screenings a pivotal blockade in launching negotiations.
Hollywood will get greater access to South Korea's movie market after the government said Thursday that it would cut in half the quota of homegrown films that must be shown in the country's cinemas.
South Korea is expected to announce the start of free trade negotiations with the United States on February 2, a government source said Thursday.
South Korea on Thursday decided to halve its 40-year-old screen quota, the mandatory period for theaters to show domestic films a year, to 73 days to clear the way for its free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.
The United States and South Korea are very close to launching negotiations for a free-trade agreement, which would be the most economically significant free-trade pact for Washington since the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.
South Korea said it would reduce by half its screen quota for domestically produced films, in a move aimed at facilitating talks with the United States on a free trade agreement (FTA).
Indian President Abdul Kalam will make a four-day visit to Korea from Feb. 6 through 9 for a summit with Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.
The Bush administration hopes to initiate more free-trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in 2006, possibly with South Korea and Malaysia, US Trade Representative Rob Portman says.
