The free trade agreement between India and Malaysia will come into force from Friday, giving Indian professionals like accountants, engineers and doctors access to the key South-East Asian nation. In addition, exports of items of considerable interest to India, like basmati rice, mangoes, eggs, trucks, motorcycles and cotton garments, will attract lower or no duty in Malaysia with the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), according to a statement of the Commerce Ministry issued in New Delhi on Thursday.

VNEconomyNews.com - China has stepped up buying farm products from Vietnam, including coffee, rice and rubber as it grapples with harsh crop weather, but higher prices could stoke inflation in the Southeast Asian nation, government data and state media said. Rising Chinese imports of Vietnamese agricultural produce, which has seen robust growth in the past decade, will continue at least through the rest of this year, based trade ministry forecasts.

(KPL) Australia has finally agreed to accept the Lao PDR as the member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after the bilateral negotiation started since 2006 has been already approved by two sides. A signing of the results of the negotiation between Lao PDR and Australia was held on 24 June in Geneva, Switzerland.

HANOI, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The "Vietnam-India trade exchange in garments and textile industry" seminar was held in Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on Wednesday. According to Vietnam News Agency, the seminar was held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)'s HCMC Bureau, and the Indian Textile Export Promotion Council (Texprocil).

Ukraine and Serbia have begun negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), designed to bolster bilateral relations. Ukrainian vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Social Policy Sergiy Tigipko started the talks at a bilateral business forum in Serbia on June 24. Tigipko said that the purpose of creating an FTA was to increase mutual trade and investment. He added that cooperation would also be assisted by the impending entry of Serbia into the World Trade Organization, and the privatization and modernization of both economies.

United States Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Republican Leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced legislation encouraging United States officials to initiate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the U.S. and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which presently accounts for the fourth largest export market of the United States.

From Friday, Koreans will be able to purchase products made in 27 European Union member states at cheaper prices than before, as the free trade pact between the two takes effect. But a similar accord signed between Korea and the United States is still pending at the legislatures of the two countries. Some raise the possibility that the effectuation of the Korea-EU pact will inevitably push U.S. Congress to ratify the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA).

BRUSSELS - Taxes levied by the Philippines on alcoholic drinks from the European Union and United States are illegal under global trade rules, the world's trade dispute body ruled on Monday, according to sources close to the case.

The seventh round of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement has achieved important results and is expected to attain several goals in key areas by year-end, according to trade officials. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said at a press conference on Friday that partner countries had made progress in negotiations in more than 20 fields covered by the TPP Agreement.

Waikato farmers will benefit from a potential free trade agreement with India but it will not have a direct impact on the dairy payout, according to a Waikato academic. Prime Minister John Key is in India with a 25-strong business delegation to participate in bilateral talks with Indian officials. The ultimate goal for the trip is an FTA, with the Government setting March 2012 as its objective for completing negotiations.