JAPAN HAS ALWAYS faced the outside world with ambivalence — eager for access to technology and resources, jealous of its own culture and industry. Forced open by a U.S. naval fleet in 1853, Japan rose in Asia over the next 80 years, only to see its attempt at imperial domination end in the catastrophe of World War II. Under the postwar U.S. security umbrella, Japan tried a different tack: mercantilism, which permitted the country to prosper economically while limiting foreign impact on domestic values, institutions and markets — all deemed essential.

After losing a case to Mexico at the World Trade Organization over U.S. standards that require the labeling of tuna as “dolphin-safe,” U.S. officials are now trying to take the case to a North American Free Trade Agreement tribunal. However, the Mexican government is actively trying to block that from happening, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The Mexican government, though, has avoided appointing a dispute panel. Nor has the government agreed to transfer the case.

Ireland and Russia have inked an agreement on a programme for trade and economic cooperation, allowing for a greater level of engagement between government authorities in each country.

SOC TRANG — The exponential growth recorded by Viet Nam in rice exports over the last two decades augurs well for nation's food security as well as that of the world, experts said at a conference yesterday. However, the shrinking area for rice farming even as food demand increased worldwide was a matter of concern and would need to be addressed by more efficient farming models, they said.

SA has rejected Turkey’s proposal for a free trade agreement between the two countries saying that this would encourage "destructive competition that will undermine our industrial and employment objectives". Addressing the media following this week’s cabinet briefing, government spokesman Jimmy Manyi said cabinet had however decided that SA would seek a "mutually beneficial, cooperative and balanced approach to building trade and investment relations with Turkey".

(Reuters) - Four senior U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday urged President Barack Obama's administration not to make a hasty decision to begin free trade talks with Japan if that country should request this week to join negotiations on a Transpacific free trade pact. "Japan's inclusion would add dramatically new dimensions and complexities to the TPP (Transpacific Partnership) negotiations. For that reason, we urge you to closely consult with Congress and stakeholders well in advance of any decisions," the group said in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

GENEVA - Russia inched closer to joining the World Trade Organization after 18 years of talks Wednesday, by signing a deal with its neighbour and one-time foe Georgia. The agreement — inked by Russian and Georgian negotiators at the WTO headquarters in Geneva — removes the last major obstacle to Moscow's membership of the global trade body. The deal foresees a neutral company monitoring all trade between the two nations, including the breakaway Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

APP/ST. PETERSBURG: The leaders of Pakistan and Russia have expressed the willingness to speed up work on the proposed Free Trade Agreement and currency swap arrangement to boost bilateral trade and further strengthen their economic ties.

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will seek to promote U.S. trade relations with Asian Pacific partners during an APEC summit he will host on Hawaii, the White House said on Wednesday. "At APEC we want to take the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement to the next level," White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters.

Public debate surrounding Japan’s proposed entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) remains as heated and confused as ever. The rhetoric is far-ranging: while some maintain that Japan risks being permanently left behind economically should it fail to negotiate entry into the TPP, others suggest that Japan’s government is agreeing to effectively cede sovereignty and sacrifice its agricultural sector for the sake of diplomatic cordiality. No one really knows what the TPP will mean for Japan, but little recognition is given to this fact.