Archive - 2007

Senior officials of the G4 - Brazil, the European Union, India and the United States - are meeting in Paris, Monday to Wednesday (2-4 April), in a renewed attempt to better understand one another's positions.

A week-long meeting (26-30 March) of the WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-Agricultural Products (NAMA) was almost exclusively devoted to discussions on text-based proposals on how to deal with Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs).

The suggestion of the developed world that India should open up its market for imports is likely to prove fatal for farmers and food security. US trade representative Susan Schwab in the last week urged India to open up its markets for imports, as it would help in its effort to contain the rising trend in prices.

Pressures are mounting on India to play an effective role in resolving the issue of Special Products (SPs) and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) in a way which would not hinder market access for developed countries.

Common Frontiers announces a new resource to help cut through the spin and clutter around the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) - a

Trade ministers from the United States, the European Union, India and Brazil will this week gather for the first time in more than eight months to try to negotiate a breakthrough in world trade talks.

The Pakistan communication attempts to 'narrow the gaps' between the G33 negotiating position and other countries positions on Special Products, in particular Thailand's position on SPs.

A Farm Bill proposal pushed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could weaken protections for farmers from natural disasters, according to a new analysis by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

The Bush Administration mid-week provided Congress parts of the text for the newly concluded free trade agreement with Korea but has not committed to a deadline of when it will provide the full text, according to congressional aides.

On Sunday April 1 at 4:00pm , taxi driver and KCTU member Heo Sae-wook stood before the Nam San Hyatt Hotel, where that final high-level FTA negotiations were taking place, and lit himself on fire chanting, 'Down with the Korea-U.S. FTA'.