Gov’t panel agrees free trade and fiscal soundness key to revive Japan
The Mainichi Daily News, 22 November,2011
A government panel agreed Monday that promoting free trade and ensuring fiscal soundness are important for Japan to revitalize itself after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. More…
Beijing presses for trade deals with Seoul, Tokyo: report
The China Post, 22 November, 2011
Beijing wants to open full negotiations on a free trade agreement with Japan and South Korea next year, Chinese state media said Monday, amid growing rivalry with the United States. More…
Obama declares Asia-Pacific trip a success
CNN, 19 November, 2011
U.S. President Barack Obama declared his nine-day Asia-Pacific trip a success on Saturday, returning to the trip’s domestic impact after focusing for days on the United States’ role in the region and its relationship with China. More…
Different trade agreements will not divide ASEAN: RI
The Jakarta Post, 18 November, 2011
Despite different stances on the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact, Southeast Asian nations will stay together to consolidate trade deals they already have with six partner countries to boost trade within the group, an Indonesian official says. More…
Lawmakers urge caution on trade talks with Japan
Reuters, 09 November, 2011
Four senior U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday urged President Barack Obama’s administration not to make a hasty decision to begin free trade talks with Japan if that country should request this week to join negotiations on a Transpacific free trade pact. More…
Pakistan, Russia to go for FTA, currency swap agreement
APP, 08 November, 2011
The leaders of Pakistan and Russia have expressed the willingness to speed up work on the proposed Free Trade Agreement and currency swap arrangement to boost bilateral trade and further strengthen their economic ties. More…
India, US move forward on investment protection treaty
PTI, 08 November, 2011
The proposed India-US investment protection treaty is back on the negotiating table and is moving forward, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said today. “Bilateral investment treaty is moving forward…,” he said after a meeting of the India-US Commercial Dialogue, co-chaired by US Under Secretary of International Trade Fransisco Sanchez.. More…
Deadlock Continues over KOR-US FTA with another Plenary Session
Scheduled Arirang, 08 November, 2011
Even after a week has gone by since the presidential office requested the ruling Grand National Party to ratify the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement, the trade deal awaited discussions at the National Assembly’s trade committee on Monday. More…
FTA wrangling heats up outside Assembly
The Korea Herald, 06 November, 2011
The main opposition Democratic Party stepped up its public campaign against the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement over the weekend, as the ruling Grand National Party mulled pushing a final vote at a plenary session Wednesday. More…
Saarc: PM may suggest economic integration
The Asian Age, 05 November, 2011
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads for the Maldives next week to participate in the 17th Saarc summit, it is expected that he will be suggesting some mechanisms to promote a greater level of regional economic integration. As for Pakistan’s decision to accord India Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, New Delhi feels that other than having an impact on bilateral ties, it will also impact the larger process of implementation of SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement). More…
EU remains dead set on trade deal
The Namibian, 04 November, 2011
European Union Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht took a “conciliatory but firm stance” on economic partnership agreement (EPA) negotiations when he recently met with Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) countries. “After four years, 18 countries have still not moved towards ratification of their agreements. More…
Government likely to go solo in IEPA
My Joy Online (Ghana), 02 November, 2011
The Ghana government is likely to tell ECOWAS of its plans to go solo on the signing of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) when Trade Ministers in the sub-region meet in the country later this month. More…
Pakistan, Turkey agree to swap currency
The Times of India, 01 November 2011
President Asif Ali Zardari and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul have agreed to finalise the currency swap agreement between the two countries. The two presidents held wide-ranging bilateral talks in Istanbul Monday, on the sidelines of the trilateral summit on Afghanistan. More…