Asia & Pacific


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


Noda, Lee push trade talks / Leaders agree to step up efforts to negotiate bilateral pact
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak agreed Wednesday to speed up working-level talks to resume bilateral free trade negotiations.
ASEAN prepares framework of principles for Asia-Pacific wide FTA
This move reflects a deep concern among some member countries that ASEAN could be sidelined by the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership that has attracted attention even as it is being negotiated, especially if Japan decides to come on board, ASEAN official sources said.
FTA strategies in China and India
By mid-2011, the two Asian giants were among Asia's leaders in FTA activity with 11 each in effect in both China and India. The number of FTAs under negotiation and proposed suggested that such activity will rise in the future, as China has another 13 agreements in the pipeline and India another 20.
India’s Myanmar Approach: Some General Observations
This article is based on the author's visit to Manipur and the observations expressed are gathered from the formal and informal interactions with people working on Indo-Myanmar issues from long time.
Homework for trade talks with India, US begins
The government of Nepal has initiated preparation for trade talks with the country's two crucial trade partners -- India and the US.
Turkey, South Africa agree to waive visas, draft free trade agreement
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu shared news of the first steps toward a free trade agreement to be signed between Turkey and South Africa
Turkey wants to seal FTA with Korea by year-end
Turkey hopes to strike a free trade deal on goods with South Korea by year-end in an effort to boost bilateral trade, the visiting Turkish economy minister said Friday.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka agree to negotiate trade agreements in August
At the conclusion of the 10th session of Pakistan-Sri Lanka Joint Economic Commission on Tuesday the two countries have agreed hold Free Trade Agreement (FTA) review meeting and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations in August 2011 in Colombo.
Lugar urges US-Asean FTA negotiations
United States Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Republican Leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced legislation encouraging United States officials to initiate Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which presently accounts for the fourth largest export market of the United States.
US business team in Nepal looking for investment opportunity
The visit -- by a team including Johnson & Johnson, GE Healthcare, Rockwell Automation, Monsanto, and Bell Helicopter -- demonstrates renewed US interest in Nepal’s economy building on the recently-signed US-Nepal Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).

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”.