The EU and Singapore today (20/9/2013) release the text of one of the most comprehensive trade agreements they have ever negotiated. It is the first EU deal with a Southeast Asian economy and has the potential to open the door to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with other countries from the region. The release of the texts follows their initialling, earlier today in Singapore, by the chief negotiators from the European Commission and Singapore's Government.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- Frozen warmwater shrimps from China, Ecuador, India, Malaysia and Vietnam does not hurt or threaten the U.S. industry, said the U.S. trade authority in a final ruling Friday. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) therefore determined to deny a ruling by the Commerce Department on final countervailing duties (CVD) on shrimp imports worth of some 1.9 billion dollar from the five countries. As a result of the commission's negative determinations, no countervailing duty order will be issued on imports of this product.

WASHINGTON – Four of the countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative are offering the other members total tariff elimination on all agricultural and industrial goods, a source close to the talks said. The move by Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Chile is likely to put pressure on Japan, the second-largest of the 12 TPP economies, to open up its politically sensitive agricultural market, the source said Friday.

All countries participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral trade negotiations, with the exception of Japan, agreed to pursue sectoral talks in Washington from Friday to Monday with an eye toward setting a tariff liberalization rate of more than 95 percent, according to informed sources. The tariff liberalization rate indicates the percentage of imported items on which each member of the multilateral economic framework agrees to eliminate tariffs.

WELLINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The head of a global health group warned Friday that the proposed Pacific-wide free trade agreement involving the United States and 11 other countries could lead to higher costs for essential medicines around the world. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was a U.S.-driven trade agreement designed to promote the interests of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to the great detriment of public health, said New Zealand-based head of the Global Asthma Network (GAN), Auckland University Professor Innes Asher.

BRUSSELS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Singapore on Friday issued the text of their free trade agreement (FTA), signaling the 28-member bloc will soon tap into Southeast Asia's growth potential. "We are pleased to present today one of the most comprehensive free trade agreements ever negotiated, and to submit it to our respective authorities for approval," an EU statement quoted Rupert Schlegelmilch, the bloc's chief negotiator of this trade agreement, who was in Singapore, as saying.

The Australian Government has re-affirmed its commitment to tobacco plain packaging laws, in the face of a new challenge to the policy by Indonesia. The World Trade Organisation says Indonesia has made a formal request for consultations with Australia on the issue, which under the Geneva-based organisation's rules is the first step towards a full-blown trade dispute.

Even as the government is collating inputs from industry to chalk out its negotiating strategy in a trade ministers’ meet during December 3-6 in Bali, Indonesia, it has demanded some immediate changes to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)  being discussed at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

(VOV) - The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) has organised a talk on recent progress made in EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) negotiations. A Vietnamese delegation led by Ambassador to Brussels Pham Sanh Chau joined representatives from 20 US businesses including Caterpillar, Procter&Gamble, GE, Microsoft, UPS, DOW Chemical, and Amway. Ambassador Chau briefed the representatives on the principles and positive developments made towards concluding negotiations late next year.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has acknowledged Vietnam’s efforts in introducing trade policies, in line with WTO rules and regulations, since it joined the organisation in January 2007. All 27 members of the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) on September 17 spoke highly of the achievements Vietnam has made since its accession, considering Vietnam a success story.