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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

Trade agreements: Doing Doha down
4-Sep-2009     The Economist
Regional trade deals are no substitute for a Doha agreement. Indeed, they are its enemy, writes The Economist
Global Turn Around!
2-Sep-2009     OWINFS
Sign-on statement from the Our World Is Not For Sale network
US trade deals open markets – GAO
13-Aug-2009     Feedstuffs
The US Government Accountability Office says bilateral free trade agreements signed by the United States work: they deliver new market opportunities for America's agriculture sector.
Obama should shift away from free trade deals -report
23-Jul-2009     Reuters
President Barack Obama should move US trade policy away from the Bush administration's focus on bilateral free trade agreements to a new approach more in line with his economic and foreign policy goals, a report from the Democratic Leadership Coucil recommended Wednesday.
Europe trumps US, again
20-Jul-2009     WSJ
On present trends, most of Europe will soon have lower income tax rates than most of America. And now the European Union is stealing another competitive march on Washington, this time on a free trade deal with the world's 13th largest economy, fast-growing South Korea.
US to get tough on trade, labor infractions: Kirk
16-Jul-2009     Reuters
The US government will get tough with governments that don't live up to trade deals, including those with substandard labor practices, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk was set to announce on Thursday.
Many US House Democrats want trade policy revamp
25-Jun-2009     Washington Post
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.
106 members of Congress introduce TRADE Act, promote a better trade model
25-Jun-2009     Mike Michaud
Endorsed by more than a dozen fair trade groups, the TRADE Act would revamp US trade policy.
US trade freeze could be slowly thawing
21-Jun-2009     Reuters
After months of little US action on trade, there are signs the issue could become more important for President Barack Obama
US should consider trade pact with EU: manufacturers
13-Jun-2009     Political Blog
A proposed trade deal between Canada and the European Union puts pressure on the United States to begin thinking about its own trade pact with Europe, U.S. manufacturers said Tuesday.