ISDS Case Map
US
Panama's government, ignoring the country's heated atmosphere, strives Friday to show the validity of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US while a common front snubbing the eventual pact grows.
The head of the US trade negotiating team yesterday expressed concern that Bangkok and Washington may not be able to wrap up free-trade agreement discussions by the agreed deadline. Speaking after concluding the sixth round of Thai-US FTA negotiations, Barbara Weisel, assistant US Trade Representative, said: “There's some serious concern whether we can do that [finish the talks by May].”
A senior US trade official on Friday expressed concern about the slow progress being made in negotiations to establish a free trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand, where more than 10,000 demonstrators gathered this week to protest the pact.
The network of 11 civil society organisations which showed its opposition to the Thai-US Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations earlier this week in Chiang Mai Friday reaffirmed its intention to continue protesting the talks.
Australian wheat exports could face further challenge with the Bush administration eyeing possible free trade deals with Egypt, South Korea and Malaysia, and working on one with Thailand.
United States Under-Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Patrick Duddy affirmed last night while visiting the Congress that the Free Trade Agreement will be greatly beneficial to the Dominican Republic and other co-signing countries.
Visiting US Sen. Melquiades "Mel" Martinez, R-Fla., said during an Argentine radio interview Thursday that a free trade agreement between the US and Argentine neighbor Uruguay is virtually sewn up.
Intellectual property rights protection became the latest stumbling block in the current round of negotiations for a Thai-US Free Trade Agreement today, with Thailand complaining publicly about the Americans' stand.
A cabinet minister said today that an actual free-trade agreement with the United States is still al long way off, and talks have not so far yielded any definite agreement. Tariff cut plans are still subject to further consultation.
If a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States is so great for us consumers, why is the telecom industry, which is controlled by our premier's family, excluded from the deal? If Thailand had to join hands with other developing countries to fight for our people's access to affordable life-saving medicines until the World Trade Organisation finally allowed it under the Doha Declaration, why is it that Mr Thaksin is so eager to ink a trade deal with the US that would tie our hands from doing so?
