ISDS Case Map
medicines
Negotiators from the United States have boycotted discussions on medicines in free trade talks with South Korea, in an apparent protest against Seoul's new drug-pricing move, Seoul's chief negotiator to the talks said Thursday.
South Korea and the US have agreed to establish a standing committee on sanitary standards for agricultural and food products, which will make it easier for the US to ask for expanded trade of genetically modified crops. However, negotiations on pharmaceuticals have hit a snag, with neither side willing to budge.
The president of the Latin American Pharmaceutical Industries, Hochi Vega, accused Washington today of violating prior agreements instrumented for implementing the DR-CAFTA free trade accord.
It is believed that the US was behind the unexpected transfer of William Aldis, who published an article in the Bangkok Post on Jan 9, urging Thailand to think carefully before signing the Free Trade Agreement with the US, because restrictive intellectual property rights under the bilateral trade agreement would prevent Thailand from using affordable locally produced generic drugs. He said anti-viral HIV drugs would be extremely expensive after the FTA went into force. Local manufacturers are of the same view.
Sughrue Mion PLLC, a leading global intellectual property law firm, announced today that the firm continues to see a strong interest from Korean pharmaceutical companies in understanding the US patent system. As talks kicked-off last week in what is expected to be a fast-tracked bilateral trade agreement between the US and the Republic of Korea, protection of intellectual property and the ability to compete effectively in the US market are even more important.
Public health officials working closely with the World Health Organisation yesterday vowed to continue their strong collaboration with the WHO despite widespread reports of possible interference by Washington in the international body's administrative affairs. The US government was allegedly behind the abrupt removal of William Aldis, the WHO representative to Thailand, after he wrote of possible adverse impacts Thailand could suffer if it went ahead and signed a free trade agreement with the US in its present state.
Washington was behind the abrupt removal of a World Health Organisation representative to Thailand after he wrote of possible adverse impacts to Thailand of a free trade agreement with the US, a source said yesterday.
An Asia Times Online investigation reveals that at the time of his death, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Lee Jong-wook, a South Korean national, had closely aligned himself with the US government and by association US corporate interests, often to the detriment of the WHO's most vital commitments and positions.
US free trade agreements with Peru and Colombia, as well as the possible agreement with Ecuador, were negotiated under the promise of great opportunities in the world's richest market, but the truth is that these agreements will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of small farmers, public health, and the regulation of investment to protect the public interest.
As Malaysia and the United States began their first round of talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), they were confronted by a group of Malaysian protesters concerned that the agreement will cause the country more harm than good.
