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TPP would ’upgrade’ US trade pacts, says US Commerce chief
The TPP is designed "to create a high-standard global trade agreement that addresses a bunch of issues that have not been addressed before in our trade agreements," US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said, adding, "And frankly, if we don’t do it, someone else is going to set the standard."
Stir over end to trade deals fades
A stir greeted last year’s announcement by the South African government that it would not be renegotiating bilateral investment agreements with major trading partners such as the EU. However, it now seems as if a lot of dust has settled around the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill, which is set to replace the agreements.
German public TV videos on TTIP - now in EN
CEO has put English subtitles to two excellent media reports on TTIP that were shown on German public TV in the previous months.
Is the TPP dead?
An interview with Kevin Zeese, organizer with Flush the TPP and Popular Resistance.
Rurelec wins historic Bolivian compensation award
UK power generator Rurelec has won an historic Bolivian compensation award worth $35.5m, the first granted by an international court against Bolivia.
German unrest mounts over EU-US FTA
There is mounting opposition among members of Germany’s black-red Grand Coalition Government to the planned Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the US.
Move on data protection or fail on TTIP, EU Parliament chair says
On 31 January, there was a stern warning from Elmar Brok, chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, that the United States must move quicker on joint data protection standards to avoid failure of the bilateral talks between the EU and the US.
PH: Businessmen mixed on country’s TPP bid
"The Philippines should not just enter into a deal out of fear of being left out," Alfredo M. Yao, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says.
EU ambassador: finishing CETA technical negotiations ‘a question of weeks’
“We think that it might be in about six months that we have a text, which will be not the final text, I think that for the final text we have to wait two years — it will be 2015,” the EU’s ambassador to Canada said.
EAC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations held in Brussels
Ministers from East Africa Community Partner States and the European Commissioner for Trade met in Brussels on 30th January 2014 to conclude three days of negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement.
Not a hacker or whistleblower? Here’s how you can still liberate secret documents
When there are documents that the public has a right to know about, we have a right to go take them, writes Daniel Hunter
Zuma says Eastern, Southern Africa moving toward Free Trade Area
Twenty-six eastern and southern African nations are making progress toward agreeing on a free trade area that will create a market with nearly 600 million people and combined gross domestic product of $1 trillion, South African President Jacob Zuma said.
Prevent free trade agreements TTIP/TAFTA - please sign!
Please sign on to this German petition against TTIP/TAFTA before 24 Feb 2013
GCC looks east for win-win trade deals
The Gulf Cooperation Council is increasingly looking eastward to secure trade accords, which in itself reflects the difficulties in concluding free trade agreements with the likes of the European Union.
Give foreign nurses in Japan a boost by treating accord as long-term remedy for labor shortages
Japanese authorities are reluctant to admit the need for foreign labor and consider EPA candidates as part of a serious measure to overcome the shortfall, preferring instead to see them as part of an exchange program where their eventual return are replaced by new batches.
Gold may be excluded from free-trade agreement with India
India is considering withdrawing some products from the Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) with Thailand after facing a huge trade deficit, with gold likely to be excluded from the pact.
Investor corruption, bilateral investment treaties and international arbitration: Bribery at centre of failed investor claim
By losing its rights under a bilateral investment treaty against a sovereign due to corruptly securing its investment, Metal-Tech marks a seemingly growing trend of bribery playing a critical role in international investment arbitration disputes.
Fast track trade in the US hits difficulties
President Obama’s hopes that the Fast Track mechanism would go through congress have met opposition from leading Congress Democrat, Harry Reid.
European Commission announces composition of TTIP expert group
Last Monday the Commission launched a special Advisory Group of experts representing a broad range of interests, from environmental, health, consumer and workers’ interests to different business sectors to provide EU trade negotiators with high quality advice in the areas being negotiated in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks.
Interview: Dutch expert says TTIP might be game changer for geopolitics
Peter van Ham, senior research fellow at the Dutch Clingendael Institute, thinks that TTIP could have an overwhelming standard-setting power for other countries.