News

EU-Japan trade deal approved for 2019 star

Foo Yun Chee, Reuters
Posted at Dec 12 09:24 PM

European Union and Japanese plans to form the world's largest free trade area cleared their final hurdle on Wednesday when EU lawmakers backed a partnership set to enter force early next year. Read more »

APEC nations fracture over future of free trade

Tom Westbrook and Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters
Posted at Nov 17 11:02 AM

Fault lines were quick to emerge over the future of free trade as leaders gathered for an Asia-Pacific summit on Saturday, with some calling for radical change while others argued for a return to the status quo on globalization. Read more »

EU to finish ratification procedures for trade pact with Japan on Dec. 20

Kyodo News
Posted at Oct 23 07:21 PM

The European Union is set to complete necessary procedures for the ratification of a free trade agreement with Japan on Dec. 20, as an antidote to the increasingly protectionist bent of US President Donald Trump's administration, a deputy chief of the bloc's executive body said Tuesday. Read more »

Global stocks climb; markets hail US-Mexico trade deal

Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters
Posted at Aug 29 08:26 AM

Monday's news of the US-Mexico agreement on trade pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes to record highs, and indexes across Europe and Asia followed Wall Street's lead, inching to multi-month highs. Read more »

U.S. drops agriculture demand from NAFTA talks -Mexico farm lobby

Sharay Angulo, Reuters
Posted at Aug 20 05:50 AM

The United States has dropped a contentious demand from the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement to impose restrictions on Mexican agricultural exports, Mexico's top farm lobby said on Sunday. Read more »

World's biggest trading bloc ‘substantially' complete this year: Singapore FM

Tarra Quismundo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 07 08:49 AM

If completed, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will account for a third of the world's economy and half of its population. Read more »

Philippines, US to start free trade talks in September

Reuters
Posted at Jul 12 05:12 PM

The Philippines will begin negotiations on a free trade agreement with the United States in September, its ambassador to Washington said on Thursday, in a bid to expand market access for its agricultural products. Read more »

China's free trade talks with Sri Lanka hit major hurdles

Shihar Aneez, Reuters
Posted at May 31 08:52 PM

China's exports to Sri Lanka dwarf the trade that goes in the other direction, leaving Colombo with a big deficit with Beijing. Read more »

Asia-Pacific nations sign sweeping trade deal without US

Dave Sherwood and Felipe Iturrieta, Reuters
Updated as of Nov 09 06:48 PM

Eleven countries including Japan and Canada signed a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement without the United States on Thursday in what one minister called a powerful signal against protectionism and trade wars. Read more »

Europe may widen perks for Philippine imports: EU chamber

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Oct 24 02:19 PM

The European Union is looking at extending incentives to up to 600 more product lines that are imported from the Philippines under its GSP+ scheme, a trade representative said Friday. Read more »

Japan says trans-Pacific trade pact, without US, to be signed in March

Kaori Kaneko and Takashi Umekawa, Reuters
Posted at Jan 23 07:00 PM

Eleven countries aiming to forge a new Asia-Pacific trade pact after the United States pulled out of an earlier version will hold a signing ceremony in Chile in March, Japan's economy minister said on Tuesday, in a big win for Tokyo. Read more »

Millions of new jobs seen with with US trade deal: Lopez

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Nov 23 10:44 AM

A proposed free trade agreement between the Philippines and the United States has the potential to create millions of jobs in the manufacturing sector, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Thursday. Read more »

ASEAN aims to wrap up RCEP deal in 2018

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Nov 15 12:31 AM

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations said Tuesday that the bloc and its trading partners will try to finish talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement next year. Read more »

ASEAN signs free trade, investment pacts with Hong Kong

James Pomfret and Enrico Dela Cruz, Reuters
Posted at Nov 12 04:50 PM

 Hong Kong on Sunday signed free trade and investment pacts with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in what one of the Chinese territory's senior officials called a "loud and clear" vote against rising regional trade protectionism. Read more »

Trump brings tough trade message in vision for Asia

Steve Holland and Matthew Tostevin, Reuters
Posted at Nov 10 04:25 PM

US President Donald Trump set out a strong message on trade at a meeting of Asia-Pacific countries in Vietnam on Friday, saying the United States could no longer tolerate chronic trade abuses and would insist on fair and equal policies. Read more »

Trump praises 'productive' China talks, but tough action seen ahead

Ben Blanchard, Reuters
Posted at Nov 10 03:33 PM

US President Donald Trump lauded his Beijing meetings on trade and North Korea as "very productive", ending a visit which Chinese media declared set a "new blueprint" for handling ties, even as the White House looks set for tougher action on China. Read more »

TPP trade deal talks reach critical point at Asia-Pacific summit

Mai Nguyen, Reuters
Posted at Nov 09 03:20 PM

Talks on pushing ahead the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal without the United States reached a critical point on Thursday as ministers from the 11 countries discussed a proposed agreement in principle. Read more »

Trump says to push Japan for freer trade; calls ties better than ever

Steve Holland, Reuters
Posted at Nov 06 02:06 PM

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to push for a free and balanced trade partnership with Japan after decades of "massive trade deficits" but said relations with close ally Tokyo were "better than we have ever had". Read more »

ASEAN, partners eye 'substantial' free trade progress by year-end

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Sep 11 02:06 PM

Southeast Asian economic ministers hope to reach a "substantial conclusion" of talks for a China-backed free trade deal by the end of the year, a Filipino official said at the end of talks in the Philippine capital.   Read more »

ASEAN tries to move China-backed free trade deal

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Sep 10 02:14 PM

Southeast Asian economic ministers on Sunday agreed to move a China-backed free trade deal forward by identifying "realistically achievable" talking points by the end of the year, a Filipino official said. Read more »