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  1. Negotiations

:: Across the board ::


This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012

USTR defends handling of trade deals with Congress
7-May-2008     Reuters
US Trade Representative Susan Schwab on Tuesday defended the White House's decision to force a vote on a free trade pact with Colombia, even though it provoked a showdown with Congress that crippled a 34-year-old procedure used to win approval of trade deals.
Feds Defend Trade Pacts
26-Apr-2008    
Federal officials and business leaders this week dismissed calls by the Democratic presidential candidates to renegotiate NAFTA, saying free trade deals help American small businesses and the U.S. economy grow.
Civil society groups call for establishment of Commission on Globalisation
23-Apr-2008    
Civil society groups have called for the establishment of a new Commission on Globalisation and Development Strategies within the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Dealing with the Proliferation of Bilateral Trade Agreements
19-Apr-2008    
In this paper, we consider the various options proposed in dealing with the spaghetti bowl, and assess their ability to do so.
Concern grows over global trade regulation
27-Mar-2008    
Amid the noisy battering the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) is taking from both Democratic presidential hopefuls, one recent statement from Hillary Clinton was particularly resonant. "We will have a very clear view of how we're going to review Nafta," the New York senator said. "We're going to take out the ability of foreign companies to sue us because of what we do to protect our workers."
A country for sale
25-Mar-2008     Fair Trade Alliance
Maraming nagugutom sa Pilipinas. Maraming walang lupang sinasaka. Maraming walang trabaho. Maraming naghihirap, isa sa bawat tatlong Pilipino sang ayon sa gobyerno mismo. Ang pangunahing dahilan sa paghihirap ay ang patuloy na pagguho ng industriya at agrikultura sa ilalim ng isang one-sided economic liberalization (lower tariffs, unchecked smuggling, missing safety nets, poor application of safeguard measures, trade-industry policy incoherence, high cost of doing business, etc.). Tanging remittances ng 10 milyong overseas Filipinos (contract workers at immigrants) ang bumubuhay sa bansa.
US free trade accords face rocky road
7-Feb-2008     CSM
A fresh battle is brewing in Washington over foreign trade, with the White House persevering in its pursuit of free trade agreements while congressional Democrats - some elected two years ago on protectionist planks - appear more inclined to take up trade issues with China than pass new deals.
Fighting FTAs: new publication and website
7-Feb-2008    
bilaterals.org, GRAIN and BIOTHAI are today launching a collaborative publication, "Fighting FTAs: The growing resistance to bilateral free trade and investment agreements".
Analysis: China beats West in Africa
2-Feb-2008     UPI
By offering itself to former colonies as a more attractive and respectful trading partner, China initiated Africa's refusal to put up with the EU's demanding policies.
White House planning 'relentless' campaign for FTAs: trade official
9-Jan-2008     Yonhap
The White House is planning a "relentless" campaign this year to push Congress to approve pending free trade agreements with South Korea and Latin American nations