Geneva (AFP) - The World Trade Organization on Monday formally accepted Kazakhstan's bid to join the body, ending nearly two decades of negotiations that the WTO has called among the most difficult in its history. Meeting at its headquarters in Geneva, the WTO General Council approved the membership terms finalised last month. After the formal approval, WTO Director General Robert Azevedo described the protracted accession process as "very challenging".

HA NOI (VNS) — Viet Nam's garment and textile export turnover to countries taking part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations increased by 69.66 per cent in the first five months compared with the same period last year, according to the latest report from the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas). Exports to this market also accounted for 66.8 per cent of the sector's total export turnover. Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US and Viet Nam are members of the TPP.

The Canadian government says it will not be bullied as the United States ratchets up pressure on Canada’s heavily protected dairy sector ahead of what could be the final round of talks for a Pacific Rim trade deal spanning 12 countries.

STRUCTURAL REFORM: The TPP is unusual among trade agreements, as it requires legal reforms on a national level, and not just lifting tariffs, activists saidMembers of Green Party Taiwan (GPT) and the Economic Democracy Union yesterday rallied in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs building in Taipei to protest what they said was the government’s “black box” approach toward its logistics planning for negotiations in its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The Republic of Korea (RoK) has been considered one of the most potential export markets for Vietnam’s aquatic products, especially after the two countries sign a free trade agreement in May.

Over 30 countries interested in signing free trade agreement with EEU Several countries have offered to create free-trade zones with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, Tengrinews reports citing Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency. Among them are Zimbabwe, Jordan, Syria, Mongolia and Albania.

HCMC – The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the HCMC government co-held a seminar last week to discuss measures for local firms to benefit from Vietnam’s global integration and free trade agreements (FTAs) with partners. Vietnam has signed 10 bilateral and multilateral FTAs and is expected to wrap up negotiations over two comprehensive trade accords later this year, heard the seminar. Therefore, local enterprises need support from government agencies to make the most of such FTAs.

Canada and Ukraine have announced that they have concluded their negotiations, ongoing since 2010, for a Free Trade Agreement. The Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on July 14, 2015, represents an important milestone in the Canada–Ukraine bilateral relationship. It should generate significant commercial benefits for Canada while supporting the reform and development efforts of the Government of Ukraine.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently hosted a conference in Panama to raise awareness of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) among Latin American parliamentarians. The event gathered over 30 parliamentarians from all over Latin America. It highlighted the potential benefits of the Agreement for the region and underlined the need for speedy ratification and ambitious implementation.

Vietnam will be able to access a huge market of 3.4 billion people when it joins the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Countries in RCEP will have a combined GDP of USD 21 trillion, accounting for 29 percent of the world's GDP, said Nguyen Anh Duong, Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM).