Sri Lanka has agreed to import the entire basmati rice quota of 6,000 tonnes from Pakistan under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) through the private sector from 2012.The understanding was reached at the end of the 4th technical level meeting on FTA held in Colombo, an official press release said. Pakistan would restore the same level of competitiveness as agreed before for Sri Lankan betel leaves by adjusting the current margin of preference, it said. The two sides noted the friendly ties and the growing commercial relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

PARIS, August 29 (Itar-Tass) — Georgia “is absolutely not against Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation,” Georgian Economics Minister Vera Kobalia told the French La Tribune financial newspaper.“It is fully possible to reach an agreement at bilateral Georgian-Russian negotiations in Switzerland,” she stressed. “Russia’s WTO membership will be even advantageous for Georgia,” the minister added, meaning the settlement of other problems existing in relations between the two countries.

The narrative on the economic growth of ‘maritime East Asia’ in the period after the Korean War is well-established, and runs roughly as follows.

VNEconomyNews.com - The South East Asian Livestock Services (SEALS) reported that 1,000 head of cattle were exported to Vietnam from the port of Darwin in northern Australia on August 26. This is the first time Vietnam has imported livestock from Australia since 2002 because of the tight Australian regulations on exporting livestock. According to SEALS, Australian exporters must meet strict conditions in order to be granted a license by the Australian Government to export livestock to Southeast Asian nations, including Vietnam.  

WASHINGTON, Aug 26, 2011 (IPS) — Critics of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) gathered here Thursday to voice concerns over the U.S.’s stronghold on intellectual property rights. The seventh meeting to determine policy for the TPP — an Asia-Pacific regional trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam — is slated for Sep. 6 in Chicago, but advocates for access to health and information have disapproved strongly of some proposed measures.

In the opinion of South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Elizabeth Thabethe, the recent agreement to launch talks to establish a tripartite free trade agreement (FTA) between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community has made it more urgent to promote intra-African trade.

India has decided not to include access to its government procurement market in ongoing talks for free-trade agreements (FTAs) with New Zealand and Australia. A commerce ministry official said India has convinced both countries not to include the subject in the trade agreements.

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) — When the Korea-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) went into effect on July 1, South Korean consumers eagerly awaited more access to lower-cost European wines. Years before the FTA, in Europe, wine grower associations and media emphasized the importance of the FTA and focused on how the new deal would increase sales. But nearly two months later, confusion still reigns.

VNEconomyNews.com - Yesterday at a press conference, held by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Vietnam Food Association, the present status of Vietnam’s rice exports were stated to have touched nearly five million tons this year with a turnover of US$2.3 billion. Rice exports have seen an increase of 11 percent in quantity and 22 percent in value this year as compared to the same period last year. It is expected that rice exports will reach eight million tons this year.

HCM CITY — A free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan customs alliance is expected to reduce tariffs on Vietnamese goods exported to Russia. Dang Hoang Hai, the director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's European Market Department, said the agreement would reduce barriers to services and trade, simplify customs procedures and improve payment conditions. It will also increase investment, tourism activities and the number of remittances.