December 2009

South Korean trade pact with India going into effect

Sify, 31 December 2009
An India-South Korea trade agreement going into effect Friday would immediately eliminate tariffs on 7,044 goods traded between Asia’s third and fourth-largest economies. South Korea and India signed their comprehensive economic partnership agreement in August after three years of negotiations as Seoul seeks to ink trade deals with the world’s largest economies. More…

China eyes ASEAN resources from free trade pact

Reuters, 29 December 2009
A free trade agreement between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours, which takes full effect from January 1, will help China fill its urgent need for natural resources, a senior commerce official said on Tuesday. More…

UAE, S Korea sign economic cooperation pact

Arabian Business, 27 December 2009
South Korea said on Sunday it had signed an enhanced economic cooperation agreement with the UAE as the two get set to mark their 30-year relationship anniversary next year. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in nuclear power and renewable energy sectors, a statement from the South Korean presidential Blue House said. More…

Pakistan, Maldives for boosting investment

Daily Times, 24 December 2009
Pakistan and Maldives should necessitate increasing trade to strengthen bilateral and socio-economic relations. More…

Egypt, Russia To Discuss Free Trade Agreement Early 2010

Nasdaq, 23 December 2009
The Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry said Wednesday that negations on the bilateral free trade agreement with Russia would start in early 2010. More…

Syria, Turkey sign trade treaties

YNetNews, 23 December 2009
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Naji al-Otari signed a series of trade treaties between their respective countries Wednesday. More…

Govt, firms work to fend off impacts of China FTA

The Jakarta Post, 22 December 2009
Full implementation of the free trade agreement (FTA) between ASEAN countries and China will start on Jan. 1 next year despite resistance from some local firms, but the government undertakes to protect local industries. More…

S Korea, Japan fail to agree on resuming free trade negotiations

Xinhua, 22 December 2009
South Korea and Japan failed to pin down the exact date to resume bilateral free trade negotiations during the latest talks, despite of mutual understanding in the need for further discussions, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported, quoting government officials. More…

Turkish Presdient: Turkey-GCC Free Trade Deal Upgrades Trade

Brunei FM World, 22 December 2009
Turkish President Abdullah Gul who started official visit to Kuwait Monday, said that the visit will further bolster and reinforce Turkish-Kuwaiti relations in the political, economic, defensive and security fields. More…

Malaysia To Look Beyond Trade With EU PCA

Bernama, 21 December 2009
Malaysia will be looking beyond bilateral trade and investment once it begins the negotiation process on the partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) with the European Union (EU). More…

Panama advances on free trade dialogue with European countries

Xinhua, 21 December 2009
Panama will negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) with members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Panaman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries said on Sunday. More…

Accord on free truck movement with Afghanistan

Dawn, 20 December 2009
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to allow trucks to move freely in each other’s territory. More…

China in strong pursuit of FTA with S.Korea and Northeast Asian countries

The Hankyoreh, 19 December 2009
As China has been in aggressive pursuit of free trade agreements (FTAs) in Northeast Asia, it has recently made strong overtures toward South Korea. More…

EPA: FG begins negotiation with EU on trade liberalisation

The Punch, 18 December 2009
The Federal Government has begun negotiations with the European Union on desirability of signing a free trade treaty under the European Economic Partnership Agreements. More…

Serbia signs free trade agreement

SETimes, 18 December 2009
Serbia signed a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries on Thursday (December 17th) in Geneva. More…

US-NZ trade talks expected to start in March

TVNZ, 15 December 2009
US trade officials have formally notified the US Congress of President Barack Obama’s intention to negotiate a regional free trade deal with Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore, Chile and three other countries in the Asia Pacific area. More…

RI-China FTA rules unlikely to be delayed: China says

The Jakarta Post, 15 December 2009
While local industries are seeking a delay in the full implementation of the free trade agreement (FRA) with China, to start in January, China says this stands little chance of succeeding. More…

EU:Haiti Signs The CARIFORUM–EU Economic Partnership Agreement

eGovmonitor, 14 December 2009
Haiti today signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and joins the fourteen Caribbean States that signed the EPA in October 2008. More…

S. Korea, New Zealand open 3rd round of free trade talks

Yonhap News, 14 December 2009
Trade officials from South Korea and New Zealand kicked off their third round of negotiations here Monday aimed at forging a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost the flow of goods and investment between the two countries. More…

Chavez, Castro sign agreements worth US$3.2b

Channel News Asia, 13 December 2009
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed 3.2 billion dollars’ worth of cooperation agreements with Cuba on Saturday and said former Cuban leader Fidel Castro was in great health, after visiting him at his home. More…

Swedish EU Presidency – Fiji joins EU-Pacific regional trade agreement

ISRIA, 11 December 2009
Fiji has today in Copenhagen signed on to the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the countries of the Pacific. More…

Core Group suggests signing of FTAs with three SA nations

The Financial Express, 08 December 2009
An official body had recommended signing of bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on goods in the first phase and similar deals on services and investment in the second phase. More…

Colombia moves forward on trade agreements with Chile and S.Korea

Colombia Reports, 07 December 2009
Colombia signs trade agreement with Chile, and held first round of trade talks with South Korea on Monday. More…

U.S., Turkey launch new trade, investment forum

Forbes, 07 December 2009
The United States and NATO ally Turkey launched an initiative Monday aimed at boosting trade and investment ties, but said there were no plans for the two countries to negotiate a free trade agreement. More…

Southeast Asian trade deal imperiled

BusinessWorld Online, 07 December 2009
SEVERAL SOUTHEAST Asian states have warned that a regional trade pact that will put in place minimum tariff rates by start of next year may collapse if the Philippines and Thailand fail this month to resolve their row over tariff rate cuts for rice, a Philippine trade official said late last week. More…

Peru ratifies free trade deal with China

AFP, 07 December 2009
Peru’s government on Sunday ratified a free trade agreement with China, the president’s office announced. The measure “favors Peru’s interests,” a brief government statement said in the office’s daily. More…

Kenya exports to EU face taxes

Daily Nation, 05 December 2009
The European Union has for the first time indicated that the failure by the East African Community to sign a new trade agreement will lead to introduction of taxes on Kenyan exports to Europe. More…

Singapore, U.S. hold 5th review of bilateral FTA

Xinhua, 04 December 2009
Singapore and the U.S. officials on Friday held the 5th annual review of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA). More…

Taiwan keen on inking FTA with EU

Taiwan News, 04 December 2009
Though there appears to be little chance the European Union (EU) will soon begin talks with Taiwan on a free trade agreement (FTA), the government will continue to let the EU know its willingness to negotiate such a deal, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang said Friday. More…

3rd Austalian trade talks come to close

JoongAng Daily, 04 December 2009
Korea and Australia have made progress on key issues in talks on a free trade agreement, Seoul’s Trade Ministry said yesterday. More…

ASEAN-China FTA to threaten RI steel, textile industries

Antara News, 03 December 2009
Indonesian steel and textile industries will be threatened if the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is introduced in January 2010, an industry spokesman said. More…

Jordan, Turkey sign free trade deal

AFP, 02 December 2009
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Jordan’s King Abdullah II signed a long-awaited free trade deal on Tuesday before holding talks on further boosting economic ties, the palace said. More…

Jordan, Turkey sign FTA

The Jordan Times, 02 December 2009
Jordan and Turkey on Tuesday signed a partnership agreement to set up a joint free trade zone. During official talks, His Majesty King Abdullah and visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul highlighted the significance of the agreement, which seeks to enhance commercial cooperation and increase Turkish investments in the Kingdom. More…

Pakistan wants talks on FTA: Gilani

The News, 02 December 2009
Pakistan and Germany inked a new bilateral investment treaty on Tuesday to “safeguard and promote” business interests and facilitate Islamabad’s efforts to attract foreign investment. The new agreement also marks the golden jubilee of the first such agreement signed between the two countries on November 25, 1959, after World War II. More…

Pakistan, Germany sign new bilateral investment treaty

Daily Times, 02 December 2009
Pakistan and Germany inked a new bilateral investment treaty on Tuesday to “safeguard and promote” business interests and facilitate Islamabad’s efforts to attract foreign investment. The new agreement also marks the golden jubilee of the first such agreement signed between the two countries on November 25, 1959, after World War II. More…

Peru to publicize benefits of FTA signed with China

Xinhua, 01 December 2009
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism will launch a nationwide campaign in January 2010 to publicize the benefits of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, a Peruvian expert on bilateral ties said Monday. More…