December 2011

Trade agreement strengthens Fiji’s ties with Australia

Australia Network News, 27 December, 2011
The Fijian government has welcomed the extension of a trade agreement with Australia, saying it will boost its textile, clothing and footwear industry. Australia’s Labor government has approved an extension of the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SPARTECA) with Fiji despite remaining “deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Fiji.” More…

Israel, South Korea Aim to Sign Free Trade Agreement by April 2012

Israeli Diamond News, 27 December, 2011
The Israeli government has announced that South Korea and Israel will begin free trade talks with the goal to sign a trade pact by April. Israel’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor Shalom Simchon made the announcement at the World Trade Organization in Geneva. More…

Peru Eyes Trade Deal With Russia – Report

Morningstar Advisor, 27 December, 2011
Peru is looking to begin talks for a free trade agreement with Russia next year, following the World Trade Organization’s approval of Russia’s membership in the trade body earlier this month, newspaper Gestion reported on Tuesday. More…

PA, Mercosur sign free trade agreement

Jerusalem Post, 21 December, 2011
The Palestinian Authority signed a free trade agreement with the Mercosur trade group Tuesday during the organizations’ presidential summit in Uruguay. The agreement was signed by PA Foreign Minister Riad al Malki along with foreign ministers from Mercosur members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador. More…

Finland advocates free trade agreement between Russia and EU countries

Helsingin Sanomat, 17 December, 2011
Russia’s accession into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) next summer will bring Finnish export companies annual savings worth up to hundreds of millions of euros. However, Finland has its sights already set on the next target: the establishment of a free trade zone between Russia and the European Union. More…

Peru Free Trade Agreement ratified by Mexico’s senate

Peru This Week, 16 December, 2011
The Peru- Mexico Free Trade Agreement was ratified on Thursday, after Mexico’s Senate had initially rejected it on Wednesday. Jose Luis Silva, Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade, said the agreement would come into effect during the first quarter of 2012. More…

EU agrees to start trade negotiations with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia

European Commission – Press release, 14 December, 2011
The European Commission welcomes today’s decision of the EU Foreign Affairs Council to authorise the opening of trade negotiations with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia as soon as the necessary preparatory process is completed. This decision provides the European Commission with a mandate to start negotiations to establish deep and comprehensive free trade areas (DCFTAs). Compared to the current trade relationship between the EU and these countries, the DCFTAs will go beyond removing only tariffs to cover all regulatory issues relevant to trade, such as investment protection and public procurement. More…

Tensions grow ahead of EU-Ukraine summit

EurActiv.com, 14 December, 2011
Days before a crunch EU-Ukraine summit on 19 December, Kyiv is under increased pressure as Brussels urges its leaders to release political prisoners and Russia moves to take control of its gas pipeline network, diplomats told EurActiv. Štefan Füle, the EU commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, on Monday (12 December) met for more than three hours in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich and Ukrainian Ambassador Konstantin Yelisieiev. More…

Peru-Panama FTA to come into force in 1Q 2012

Andina, 14 December, 2011
Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Jose Luis Silva on Wednesday said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with Panama will come into effect in the first quarter of 2012 after being approved by the National Assembly of said Central American country on Tuesday. More…

PJEPA review reset to January

Manila Bulletin, 14 December, 2011
Negotiations for the general review of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA) original schedule this month have been moved to January next year. Lead trade negotiator Trade and Industry undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. said both countries have agreed to re-schedule the 4th Meeting of the PJEPA Joint Committee, which will discuss, among other issues, the general review of the trade agreement. More…

MOIT: Russia considers FTA with Vietnam a breakthrough in Asean

VietNamNet Brigde, 14 December, 2011
The Vietnam-Russia trade is expected to increase greatly after Russia joined the world trade organization WTO in mid December and the free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhtan is signed in 2012. More…

Partnership deal on track; bilateral trade pact next?

Business World Online, Manila, 13 December, 2011
The Philippines is not ready to commit to negotiations but is still “very serious” about pursing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, seen as a major export market and investment partner. More…

TPP – new playing field with great opportunities and big pressure

VietNamNet Bridge, 06 December, 2011
On November 15, 2010, Vietnamese President announced Vietnam’s decision to join the negotiation rounds for Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP. The partners which have joined the negotiations for TPP include New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Brunei, the US, Australia, Peru, Malaysia and Vietnam. Of these, Vietnam is considered as the economy with the lowest development level. More…

Mexico, Viet Nam examine free-trade agreement

VietNam News, 06 December, 2011
During a visit to Mexico last week, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Vietnamese National Assembly Vice Chairwoman, met with Senator Alberto Anaya Gutierrez, General Secretary of the Mexican Labour Party, to review the friendship between the two countries. Gutierrez suggested Viet Nam and Mexico consider negotiating the signing of a Free Trade Agreement which he believed would help tighten the ties between the two countries. More…

FTA drives S. Korea’s car exports to EU

Yonhap News Agency, 06 December, 2011
South Korea’s car exports to the European Union (EU) surged 40.1 percent on-year in the first 10 months of 2011, fueled by the bilateral free trade pact, a local industry association said Tuesday. More…

Peru to sign FTA with Guatemala on Tuesday after Pacific Alliance Summit

Andina, 02 December, 2011
Peru and Guatemala will sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Tuesday, December 6 in a ceremony which will count with the participation of Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Jose Luis Silva. More…