ISDS Case Map
Panama
Panama and Canada on Tuesday signed a free trade agreement (FTA) after the conclusion of bilateral trade talks.
Political pressure grew on President Barack Obama to reconsider pending trade deals with Panama, Colombia and South Korea as over 100 lawmakers called on Wednesday for a massive revamp of US trade policy.
US congressmen are pressuring Panama to reduce the number of people who can form a union from 40 to 20 and to give foreigners the right to head union organizations in Panama.
This trade deal -- largely based on the North American Free Trade Agreement model -- was written by and for multinational companies. It enables companies to increase their profits while skipping town on taxes.
The National Pork Producers Council is pushing for passage of the Panama Free Trade Agreement, saying it will level the playing field for U.S. pork producers.
Pop quiz: who said that? Was it a Panamanian worker with nothing to lose? Nope. It was the chair of one of the most powerful committees in the US Congress.
The Obama administration wants to explore new trade vistas in the Asia-Pacific region once it has dealt with challenges it inherited, including a deal with Panama and a global trade pact, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Monday.
As the global economic crisis deepens and more people lose their jobs, the Obama administration may soon push for ratification of the Bush-era US-Panama Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Finalizing a free-trade deal with the United States is a major goal for Panamanian President-elect Ricardo Martinelli, but the supermarket tycoon rejects US accusations that the country is a tax haven.
