Asia & Pacific


Bilateral deal-making involving governments of Asia and the Pacific region.


‘Political will’ may no longer be the bane of AEC
With less than three months before AEC is launched, the business community is still not convinced that the governments in Asean are politically committed towards AEC. Many feel the countries in the region are not pulling up their socks to remove non-tariff barriers
PH climate change official tells APEC: No trade without addressing disaster risk issues
There can be no trade agreement without addressing disaster risk and climate change issues in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippine government says.
China elbowing US out of Pacific tuna trade
A political battle is brewing in the Pacific over tuna as rising competition from Chinese vessels sours long-standing fishing arrangements between the US and Pacific island nations.
TIFA meeting to be held in October
The next round of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks between Taiwan and the U.S. will be held in October in Taipei at the earliest. Besides food safety, Taiwan is expected to raise issues relating to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and bilateral investment agreement (BIA) in the meeting.
RCEP seals modalities for tariff liberalization
China agreed to accept India’s initial market access offer in the recently concluded RCEP ministerial in Kuala Lumpur.
New trade measures top Apec agenda in Cebu meetings
New and aggressive measures to improve trade and economic growth across the region will be high on the agenda of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.
Minister: TPP and RCEP are equally important to the country
Malaysia gives equal emphasis to two trade pacts – Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) said International Trade and Industry Minister, with RCEP provide a future boost for the four Asean countries in the TPP negotiations.
ASEAN puts last touches to economic community
With most of the high-priority measures in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) blueprint already adopted, policymakers and businesses need to work closely on the remaining challenges to achieve benefits of full economic integration beyond 2015
Norway partners with ASEAN free trade bloc
ASEAN foreign ministers accepted Norway as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner following Norway's application early this year to establish a formal partnership with the Asian bloc.
Q&A: How Southeast Asian economic zone could change region
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations aims to establish an economic community known as the AEC whose ultimate goal is said to allow free trade, investment and movement of workers between the 10 nations that make up the grouping

Referenced sites

ABAC

APEC Business Advisory Council is pushing for an FTA among APEC members

ASEAN Briefing

ASEAN Briefing is a platform dedicated to the various and increasing number of trade treaties and agreements throughout the ASEAN region, produced by tax and...

Asia Regional Integration Center

Database of bilateral and plurilateral FTAs with at least one of Asian Development Bank’s 48 regional members as signatory.

Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA

An Australian government webpage on the Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA negotiations, agreed to end 2004 and begun early 2005.

Macau-China FTA

Official website on the Macau-China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement

PANG

The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) plays the role of the Pacific regional “peoples’ watchdog on trade issues”.