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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

America will not wait for the won't-do countries -Zoellick FT op-ed
11-May-2004    
The final minutes of the World Trade Organisation session in Cancun were symptomatic of the whole meeting: we stalled after representatives of the least developed, African, and Caribbean countries reported that their colleagues had rejected any negotiation to update the 1947 rules on customs procedures.
Regionalism and the multilateral trade system
20-Apr-2004    
Regional trade agreements (RTAs) are an integral part of international trade, accounting for almost half of world trade and expected to grow further in the next few years. These agreements operate alongside global multilateral agreements under the World Trade Organization (WTO), and have both positive and negative effects.
Over 15 FTAs to be concluded worldwide in 2004
2-Apr-2004     Over 15 FTAs to be concluded worldwide in 2004
World nations are expected to conclude at least 15 FTAs and to initiate negotiations for more than 10 new FTAs in 2004, the Trade Research Institute (TRI) of Korea International Trade Association (KITA) projected. The TRI also predicted FTA negotiations would be active in American and Asian regions as in 2003.
Asia led new FTAs concluded in 2003
2-Apr-2004     Asia led new FTAs concluded in 2003
Amid the delay in DDA [Doha Development Agenda] negotiations, in 2003 FTA movement by major nations, in particular was very brisk. As for newly concluded FTAs in 2003, Asia let the world with seven agreements, followed by America region with six. Meanwhile, FTAs were under negotiation in America (17), Asia (12), Europe (12) and Oceania (4).
Bombarded by bilateral trade and investment agreements
30-Mar-2004    
Bilateral agreements are made between two countries, or a grouping of countries (like the European Union) and another country. Throughout the world, many governments have signed, are negotiating, or contemplating new bilateral free trade and investment agreements.
Analysis: U.S. Seizing Initiative in Pushing Trade Liberalization
24-Mar-2004     Bulatlat.com
Writing in the Financial Times (Sept. 22, 2003) after the collapse of the fifth WTO Ministerial Conference, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick lamented the “broader culture of protest” that characterized negotiations at Cancun, correctly (if sarcastically) noting that “countries that feel victimized are unlikely to agree to anything.”
Multilateral, Regional, Bilateral: What Is The Way?
12-Mar-2004     Multilateral, Regional, Bilateral:What Is The Way
The Chicago Conference on the Global Economy 'The Future of the Global Trading System'