January 2010

India, New Zealand begin talks for free trade agreement

The Economic Times, 01 February 2010
India and New Zealand have begun negotiations for a free trade agreement, a minister said here on Monday. New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said the negotiations started in Switzerland where he met Commerce Minister Anand Sharma last week. More…

Secretly, India talked free trade agreement with EU again

DNA, 01 February 2010
India hosted trade officials from the European Union last week (January 25-29) for the eighth round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in the capital, and apprehensions are high about the speed, secrecy and lack of transparency in the manner in which they took place. More…

GCC to push for free trade pact with China

Business 24-7, 31 January 2010
Hundreds of officials and businessmen from Gulf oil producers and China will gather in Bahrain in late- March for their biggest conference that will focus on the need to finalise a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides. More…

New Zealand, India to Begin Formal Negotiations on Trade Pact

Bloomberg, 31 January 2010
New Zealand and India will begin negotiations to establish a bilateral free-trade agreement, the South Pacific nation’s Trade Minister Tim Groser said today. More…

India, European Union to resume FTA talks next week

Business Standard, 22 January 2010
The fate of one of the world’s most crucial economic engagements will be at stake next week, when the 27-member European Union (EU) and India hold talks in New Delhi to thrash out the details of a free trade agreement (FTA) that could potentially boost bilateral trade to hundreds of billions of dollars. More…

Indonesia considers delaying implementation of China-ASEAN FTA

Channel news Asia, 22 January 2010
Indonesia has said it will soon discuss with China its plan to delay the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which came into effect on January 1 this year. More…

Cooperation only way forward for energy security: Krishna

ThaIndia, 21 January 2010
India and other countries in Asia can achieve energy security only with regional cooperation as opposed to competition to satisfy the growing demand given the backdrop of constraints, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna has said. More…

India, Malaysia look to energise ties with Najib’s visit

Times of India, 19 January 2010
Malaysia was one of the toughest negotiators on the India-Asean free trade agreement, and frequent stalled negotiations with their stand on palm oil exports. More…

India, EU to focus on trade deal hurdles next week

News Centre, 18 January 2010
Indian and European negotiators will focus on whittling down differences over market access and intellectual property rights when they meet next week to push for a bilateral trade pact, a European diplomat said on Monday. More…

Kenyan PM proposes FTA for East African Community, Singapore

Channel News Asia, 18 January 2010
The visiting Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga has proposed a free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the East African Community – which comprises Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. More…

Hong Kong provides perfect base for investment in China

Bangkok Post, 16 January 2010
Investors targeting the Chinese market and seeking better returns from the region’s economic growth should consider Hong Kong as a base, says the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. More…

Hariri: Lebanon will soon sign free-trade deal with Turkey

Daily Star, 13 January 2010
Prime Minister Saad Hariri said during a meeting with Turkish and Lebanese businessmen in Istanbul on Tuesday a free trade agreement between Lebanon and Turkey will soon be signed. More…

US revives Asia trade agenda

Asia Times, 13 January 2010
A speech by United States President Barack Obama in Tokyo has elevated the status and prospect of the little-known Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, known by many observers as the P4, to the center stage of regional economic cooperation. More…

PM calls for enhancing trade ties with India

Bdnews24, 12 January 2010
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called for enhanced economic cooperation between India and Bangladesh and stressed on initiating bilateral trade facilitation More…

Free trade agreements may aid toxic-waste trade

DNA, 12 January 2010
As the negotiations for signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with trade partners such as Japan and the European Union (EU) gather momentum, so do concerns over environment and waste dumping. More…

GCC, Pak to sign FTA before March

The Hindu, 11 January 2010
The current annual Saudi—Pak bilateral trade figure of $456 million is expected to almost double by the end of this year, after a free trade agreement (FTA) is signed between GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Pakistan before March. More…

Israel pushing for trade pact with India

The Hindu, 11 January 2010
Israel on Monday said, it wants to push for a free trade agreement with India with an objective of tripling bilateral commerce to USD 12 billion over the next four-five years. More…

Nigeria to sign economic partnership pact soon

NEXT, 06 January 2010
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Achike Udenwa, has said that federal government is considering the possibility of appending signature to the Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA, before the end of 2010. More…

India, Malaysia to sign Extradition Treaty

Central Chronicle, 05 January 2010
India and Malaysia are likely to sign an Extradition Treaty and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for cooperation in culture and tourism during the upcoming visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak to India from January 19-23. More…

Russia & Belarus Lock Horns Over Oil Agreement

Oil Voice, 05 January 2010
Russia and Belarus’ failure to agree a new oil trade agreement for 2010 has raised fears that European supplies of crude and refined products may be severely disrupted. More…

China and ASEAN to launch world’s 3rd biggest trade zone

Reuters, 01 January 2010
China and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are poised to launch a free trade agreement on Friday, forming an economic bloc of 1.9 billion people with trade worth around $200 billion. More…