BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- China has decided to levy five-year anti-dumping duties starting from Friday on hydrazine hydrate imports from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and France, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.In June 2005, the ministry levied anti-dumping duties ranging from 28 percent to 184 percent on hydrazine hydrate imports from the four countries for five years, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

BRASILIA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Friday welcomed the U.S. decision to change some of its anti-dumping measures imposed on Brazilian orange juice exports in accordance with a World Trade Organization ruling. The U.S. delegation to the organization, or WTO, said earlier that it intended to implement the recommendations of the WTO's dispute settlement body.

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The WTO Brazilian cotton settlement has become a $147 million albatross in the House debate on the $125.5 billion food and agriculture appropriations bill. The cotton settlement has given lawmakers who want to cut farm programs an opening for debate on overall farm subsidies. Further, other lawmakers trying to fend off cuts to food-aid programs have slammed the cotton payments as well.

Following positive recommendations from a study group established by the Indonesian government, it has been announced that the European Union (EU) and Indonesia have agreed to begin negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). Indonesia has had a partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU since 2009, but discussions on an FTA had awaited the deliberations of a joint "vision group", set up by business, government and academics in late 2010 to present concrete recommendations on ways to enhance EU-Indonesia trade and investment ties.

A free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Taiwan could be sealed in about two years time, a visiting Member of the European Parliament (MEP) said Wednesday in Taiwan.  The Dutch parliamentarian told the CNA that while FTA negotiations were always complicated and painstaking, if both sides worked hard enough, they could reach an agreement within twenty-four months. 

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The World Trade Organization (WTO) cannot interfere in Australia`s decision to halt its cattle exports to Indonesia, a WTO official said. "The WTO cannot influence the decision of a country to restrict its exports. If Indonesia and Australia have a problem, they should discuss it bilaterally," WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said here on Tuesday. He said WTO could not meddle in the suspension of Australian livestock exports to Indonesia, a move made on the grounds that Indonesia had violated animal welfare principles.

VNEconomyNews.com - Vietnam will have to import 1 million starting from July 15 when Dung Quat Oil Refinery shuts down for a 2-month maintenance, the online newspaper VnExpress quoted Nguyen Hoai Giang, General Director of Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co. Ltd (BSR), the facility’s operator on June 15. The remaining petrol capacity of around 170,000 tons as shutting down is only enough for domestic consumption in one week, Giang said.

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key, accompanied by Trade Minister Tim Groser and a 25-strong business delegation, will meet with key Indian individuals to discuss furthering bilateral trade and investment, with talks expected to focus on a proposed trade pact aimed at reducing tariffs. During the official visit, Key will meet with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. The New Zealand government said that it expected discussions to be "wide-ranging, but likely to focus on making further progress on the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations".

(Reuters) - White House and congressional negotiators appear "within striking distance" of a deal on a retraining program that has held up votes on trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, the Chamber of Commerce said on Wednesday. Tom Donohue, president of the business group, said it was ready to spend generously on lobbying and advertising to win approval of the three long-delayed agreements.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An upcoming ruling by the World Trade Organization on whether China broke global rules by limiting raw material exports will bolster European plans to challenge other curbs by Beijing, the EU's trade chief said on Tuesday. "I believe this will considerably strengthen the position of the European Union," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht told a conference of policymakers and industry executives considering growing shortages of raw materials.