Dec 11 (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization's 157 members aired a "virtual uniform expression of concern" about Ukraine's plan to renegotiate hundreds of tariff ceilings, U.S. Ambassador Michael Punke said as he left the WTO's General Council on Tuesday. "You had close to unanimity in terms of the membership expressing extreme concern about what the Ukraine is doing," Punke told reporters.

In sequence to take advantage of tariff preferences accessible in Vietnam such as Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs), several weave and mantle manufacturers worldwide are investing in weave projects in Vietnam.

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (Reuters) — Can Europeans, who have balked for years at many U.S. food imports, accept a free trade agreement with the United States that opens the door for imports of genetically modified crops and chickens cleaned with chlorine? That’s one of the big questions facing policymakers as the transatlantic trading partners, both hoping to boost exports to help their struggling economies, consider launching talks in 2013 on a free trade pact.

After 11 years of negotiations, Tajikistan is set to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) within the next few months.  President Emomali Rakhmon was in Geneva on Monday to sign a package of membership agreements that commit Dushanbe to opening its markets and standardizing import tariffs. Tajikistan’s rubberstamp parliament must ratify membership by June 7, 2013. The country will become a WTO member 30 days after ratification, making it the trade body’s 159th member. 

New Zealand’s red meat sector is encouraging all negotiating parties in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to work tirelessly to ensure this agreement can be completed by October 2013. Key outcomes from the completion of TPP must be the elimination of agricultural trade barriers and the opportunity for greater economic integration across the Asia Pacific region, Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and the Meat Industry Association (MIA) say.

New Zealand has been hosting the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks in Auckland for the past week, but you’d have to say things haven’t worked out quite as well as some had hoped. In fact, it has been a bit sad to watch, up close. This country put on its dancing shoes, flirted openly with the United States and yet has still ended up the week in a corner, dancing almost entirely by itself.

Despite growing opposition in Canada, Ottawa has begun formal participation in the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, aimed at establishing one of the world’s most ambitious trade agreements. As nearly a dozen countries — including the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Mexico and Vietnam — gathered in New Zealand last week for the 14th round of talks, skeptics here have already expressed doubts about the benefits of the proposed deal.

HA NOI (VNS)— The Ministry of Finance has decided to sharply increase import tax on sugar from January next year as local supplies are forecast to exceed demand. The import tax on raw sugar would increase to 25 per cent from 15 per cent and on refined sugar to 40 per cent from 15 per cent, the ministry said. The nation's 2012-13 crop was expected to yield around 1.5 million tonnes of sugar, roughly 100,000-200,000 tonnes higher than local demand.

(Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's passage of legislation to punish Russians who violate human rights is the first big test of the resolve of Vladimir Putin andBarack Obama to improve relations since their election victories.

Police have condemned "violent" protesters who attacked two police officers and set fire to cardboard boxes as they tried to force their way into free trade negotiations. A handful of police and SkyCity security staff were overwhelmed by more than 150 protesters, forcing the on-the-ground commander to call in reinforcements from around Auckland.