Vietnam and the EU will continue the 12th round of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on March 24 in Hanoi, which is expected the last session before the negotiations are concluded and the agreement signed. The signing of the Agreement of Partnership and Cooperation and the EVFTA negotiations are positive signs in bilateral ties as Vietnam and the EU celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, said spokesman for the EC’s Trade Office Joseph Waldstein Wartenberg.

DAVAO CITY -- The Philippines is aiming to forge partnerships with Indonesia and Vietnam for specific industries under the integrated economic environment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) beginning December this year.Among the potential sectors for cooperation are oil, coffee, bamboo, ship-building and geothermal energy development.

HA NOI (VNS)  — Bilateral trade between Viet Nam and Singapore continued to experience strong growth during January, touching more than S$2.17 billion (over US$1.57 billion). This reflects a year-on-year increase of 5.2 per cent, the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS) said. Viet Nam's exports to Singapore rose 6.2 per cent from the same period last year to S$458 million ($331.6 million).

(Reuters) - Unions plan to make lawmakers' support for trade deals and legislation to streamline the passage of trade agreements through Congress an issue in next year's U.S. elections, the head of the country's largest labor federation said on Tuesday.

WAIKOLOA, HAWAII – Chief negotiators from countries involved in a Pacific Rim free trade initiative resumed talks Monday in Hawaii, as the 12 negotiating members attempt to reach a deal by the end of spring.

BRUSSELS (VNS) — Viet Nam is a friendly and reliable partner of the EU and the Free Trade Agreement being negotiated will promote growth for both sides, a senior European Commission official has said. Joseph Waldstein Wartenberg, spokesman for the EC's Trade Office, told the Vietnam News Agency reporter in Brussels that the signing of the Agreement of Partnership and Cooperation and the FTA negotiations are positive signs in bilateral ties as Viet Nam and the EU celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

BRUSSELS: Keen to expand economic ties with India, the European Union has sought a ’political push’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restart the stalled talks for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and expressed readiness to adopt flexibility to iron out differences on crucial issues.

HA NOI  (VNS) — The signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and South Korea is expected to boost Viet Nam's shrimp exports to South Korea in the near future. Under the FTA, South Korea will reduce taxes and offer additional opportunities for agricultural and seafood products to be exported from Viet Nam, which includes shrimp, fish, fruits, textile and garments, and mechanical products. Among these, shrimp is listed in the group, on which taxes will be reduced faster and more drastically.

(Reuters) - China hopes to finish talks on creating an Asian free-trade bloc estimated to cover 28 percent of the world economy by the end of this year, the country's trade minister said on Saturday. Gao Hucheng said on the sidelines of China's annual session of parliament that China would work hard to wrap up talks for the RCEP, or Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, before the end of this year.

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States have been in close touch regarding U.S. beef exports to China, but no breakthrough has been made, a Chinese agricultural official said here Friday. Bi Meijia, chief economist at the Ministry of Agriculture, made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress annual session.