Japan and the European Union struggled to bridge gaps over the opening up of Japan’s electricity and gas markets, one of Europe’s key interests, during a round of free-trade talks that ended Friday. The 28-country bloc has called for more transparency in procurement procedures and greater market access in electricity and gas to facilitate European suppliers’ participation in the construction of thermal power plants and other projects.

(Reuters) - Chances that U.S. negotiators can bring home a strong trade deal with Asia-Pacific countries are now much better than 50-50, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday. Obama said he was also confident the administration could make a "strong case" in Congress for a Trans-Pacific Partnership deal covering nearly 40 percent of the world economy. "I'm much more optimistic about us being able to close out an agreement with our TPP partners than I was last year," he said at a meeting of the President's Export Council.

President Obama said Thursday he believes the odds for striking a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement are "significantly higher than 50-50" in a meeting Thursday with his export council. Obama told the gathering of top business leaders that he was "much more optimistic about us being able to close out an agreement with our top partners than I was last year," when he said a deal was "still up for grabs." Obama said that he believed he and business leaders could also "make a strong case" to Congress to approve the treaty.

This publication was commissioned for and forms part of the background documentation for an ad hoc expert group, entitled: “Trade Remedies in Green Sectors: the Case of Renewables”, held in Geneva on 3 and 4 April 2014. The study and the meeting are part of a larger effort by UNCTAD to analyze issues arising at the interface of trade policy and green economy, more specifically renewables, which is shorthand for goods and services used in conjunction with renewable energy sources.

The WTO Appellate Body ruled on Monday that the US’ anti-subsidy duties on imports of certain Indian steel products violated global trade rules, in a complicated decision that is expected to have implications for India’s booming steel trade. (DS436)

South Africa cannot expect to continue receiving preferential trade benefits under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) unless it rescinds its anti-dumping duties on imports of US chicken, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) has told members of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). "I will do everything in my power to make sure (the South Africans) do not derive any benefits from AGOA if they do not end the illegal anti-dumping duties against US chicken," Coons told USAPEEC members gathered for the organisation's annual Winter Meeting.

Kenya is set to host a meeting of ministers in charge of international trade and negotiations under the World Trade Organization. The meeting, formally known as the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC10) is expected to bring together more than 4,000 delegates from 160 member countries of the WTO. On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the fact that the meeting would be the first in Africa indicates growing confidence in the country from the international community.

Vietnam and South Korea on Wednesday wrapped up negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that seeks to triple bilateral trade turnover to US$70 billion by 2020.  The two sides concluded the deal during a meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and South Korean President Park Geun-hye on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan.  The two leaders hailed the conclusion of the FTA negotiations as an important event in bilateral trade ties.

Minister of State (Independent) for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman assured the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the government would not compromise on national interests during WTO negotiations. She said the new decisions of the General Council were “an improvement” upon the Bali agreement which was “imperfect.”

HA NOI (VNS) — The entrustment of export and import of goods usually causes disputes between the mandator and mandatory. Enterprises need to pay attention when entering into contracts, selecting partners and other matters that arise to best protect their own rights and benefits. The entrustment of export and import of goods (hereinafter referred to as "export and import entrustment") is governed by the Commercial Law.