Articles

Corporate Conquest: Why the UK and its EU partners must stop forcing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) upon developing countries

3 October, 2006
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth's new report on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)

Oxfam warns EU trade deals could sink poor countries

28 September, 2006
Guardian Reporter
Free trade agreements mooted between the European Union (EU) and several African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries could destroy the economies of poor countries, development agency Oxfam has warned.

WTO undermines right to act with precaution: Greenpeace assessment GE-Biotech dispute ruling

28 September, 2006
GreenPeace
Greenpeace International today released a legal assessment of the World Trade Organisation

Oxfam warns EU-ACP free trade deals are unfair - Call for comprehensive review

28 September, 2006
Oxfam
The European Union must urgently change its negotiating position on free trade deals with some of the world

Transatlantic biotech trade war: 'No Winners' says FOEE as WTO makes ruling public

28 September, 2006
Foe - Europe
Press Release: Friends of the Earth Europe has today called for alternative ways to deal with environmental trade disputes.The call comes as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) publishes its final ruling on the transatlantic trade dispute on genetically modified (GM) foods.

Transcript of press conference by US representatives in Cairns - Sept. 21st

26 September, 2006
IATP
A link to the transcript of the press conference Susan Schwab and Mike Johanns gave in Cairns meeting.

Mandelson: Enlarged EU preserves its public services model in WTO

26 September, 2006
The EU and the WTO
The EU has become the first member of the World Trade Organization to use the provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) to enable Members to modify their trade commitments.

Uruguay: Government speeds up free-trade negotiations even as protests build

25 September, 2006
NotiSur
Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez is stepping up efforts to work out a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the US even as various trade-union groups are stepping up their opposition to such a deal and as the president's political popularity slides.

U.S., EU Reach Agreement to Open European Market to U.S. Services Companies

25 September, 2006
By Gary G. Yerkey, International Trade
The United States and the European Union have concluded an agreement that will provide new commercial opportunities for U.S. banks and other service providers in the 25-nation EU, U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced Sept. 25.

Europe to review US offer on farm deal

22 September, 2006
Joseph Kerr and Ian Gerard, The Australian
EUROPEAN trade negotiators have agreed to consider a new offer from the US to cut its generous subsidy schemes for its own farmers.

Cairn Group's 20th Anniversary Ministerial Meeting Communique

21 September, 2006
Cairns Group Website
We, the Ministers of the Cairns Group, met in Cairns, Australia from 20-22 September, on the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of our Group, to review the current impasse in the Doha negotiations and to discuss how we can contribute to their successful resumption.

Slow Going In Trade Talks With S. Korea Disappoints U.S.

10 September, 2006
by Martin Vaughan, National Journals CongressDailyPM
U.S. trade officials were disappointed at the lack of progress last week in the third round of negotiations toward a U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement,

Japan-RP economic pact brings dubious gain

9 September, 2006
IBON Foundation
The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) will bring dubious gain to the local economy while severely limiting government’s policy options to develop domestic industries.

For Arroyo, the future of Filipinos is cheap — Migrante-Japan

8 September, 2006
Migrante-Japan
For Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the future of the Filipino people has a very cheap price. So cheap that she has opted to sell it to Japan by further opening up the local economy in exchange for the annual deployment of

Economic partnership with Japan will not benefit Filipinos; JPEPA spells intensified human labor export and liberalization of economy

8 September, 2006
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
It is contemptible how the Philippine government trades its citizens for export goods that will only push the country to even greater disaster.

GM Alert: US Using WTO to Push GM Food into India

3 September, 2006
By Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, New Delhi
Both notifications assert that these regulations are trade restrictive for countries like the US planning to export GM products to India.

Agricultural issues poised to heat up in 3rd FTA talks

3 September, 2006
Korea Herald
Despite the expected challenges, Seoul will push for certain exemptions over sensitive agricultural products during the upcoming third round of free trade agreement talks with Washington, the Korean government said.

US may cut farm subsidies, says Das

29 August, 2006
By Ashok B. Sharma, Financial Express
(Bhagirath Lal Das) says the WTO negoiations are likely to resume in September and conclude in time to enable the US fast track authority to approve of the decision before June 2007.

ASEAN framework deal with US may be disastrous to economy, warns IBON

28 August, 2006
IBON Foundation
The recently-signed trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) between the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will sooner or later lead to a free trade agreement (FTA), and this will prove disastrous to the vulnerable sectors of the region, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

US likely to sign ASEAN trade deal

22 August, 2006
AFP, Washington
The US is set to conclude an agreement with Southeast Asia this week that is expected to boost free trade and help Americans benefit from a larger East Asian tariff-busting program.