-
Geneva Schizophrenic as Possible WTO Ministerial Looms
Negotiators in Geneva veered between cautious optimism and gloom as preparations for a proposed mini-ministerial meeting in December rapidly gathered pace. WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy has moved quickly to organise a series of intensive invitation-only ‘Green Room’ meetings with senior negotiators this week to try to thrash out unfinished details of a possible trade package. But…
-
APEC Leaders Vow ‘Urgent’ Action on Financial Crisis, Call for Doha Conclusion
The leaders of 21 Pacific Rim economies pledged last week to “act quickly and decisively to address the impending global economic slowdown” and said they would impose no new barriers to trade in the face of the crisis. The heads of members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, known as APEC, convened for their annual…
-
EU Ag Ministers Hammer out Farm Subsidy Reforms
European agriculture ministers agreed on changes to EU farm subsidies last week that will phase out quotas for milk production and divert some of farmers’ direct payments toward rural development projects. In what was billed as a ‘health check’, the ministers made several updates to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, which doles out support…
- In Brief
-
Trans-Pacific Free Trade Pact Set to Expand
A two-year-old regional free trade pact, known as the P4, between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore is set to be enlarged to span seven countries. Australia and Peru have joined the US, which requested involvement in the trade deal in September, in committing to negotiations to join what has been christened the Trans-Pacific Strategic and…
-
Russia Looks to Bolster Presence in Latin America
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sought to expand trade links and political ties on a visit to Latin America this week, saying that he wants to double trade with Brazil and strengthen cooperation with Venezuela. “I hope in the next few years the turnover will reach US$ 10 billion a year,” Medvedev said at a luncheon with…
-
OECD Accord Pledges Support for Export Credit
The world’s major economies released a statement Monday affirming their resolve to support export credit to ensure liquidity in international trade as the global economy reels from the ongoing financial crisis. The announcement came under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the club of rich-country governments headquartered in Paris. “OECD…
-
Canada, Colombia Sign Deals on Trade, Labour
The leaders of Canada and Colombia signed a free trade agreement in Lima last week, while their subordinates committed their respective governments to abide by specific workers’ rights standards. Separate agreements were also signed on the environment and on taxation rules. “In a time of global economic instability free trade is more important than ever,” Canadian…
- WTO in Brief
-
Russia ‘90% of the Way’ to WTO Membership, Ashton Says
Russia’s long journey toward membership in the WTO appears to be entering its final stages, although several hurdles must still be cleared before the terms of the country’s accession package can be finalised “We are more than 90 percent of the way there,” EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton said last week. “I firmly believe that the…
- Events
-
Events
Coming up: 27 November - 3 December 29 November - 2 December, Doha, Qatar. FOLLOW-UP INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT TO REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MONTERREY CONSENSUS. This review conference will address progress made, reaffirm goals and commitments, and share best practices and lessons learned. It will also identify obstacles and constraints, actions and…
- Resources
-
Resources
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE ASEAN-CHINA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT ON THE GREATER MEKONG SUB-REGION. International Institute for Sustainable Development, November 2008. Using the free trade agreement concluded between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2004 as an example, this study seeks to illustrate the interaction between FTAs, trade and the environment. Based on…
-
Printer-Friendly Version of Bridges Weekly, Vol. 12 No. 40
Table of Contents I. LEAD STORIES - Geneva Schizophrenic as Possible WTO Ministerial Looms - APEC Leaders Vow ‘Urgent’ Action on Financial Crisis, Call for Doha Conclusion - EU Ag Ministers Hammer out Farm Subsidy Reforms II. IN BRIEF - Trans-Pacific Free Trade Pact Set to Expand - Russia Looks to Bolster Presence in Latin America - OECD Accord Pledges Support for Export…