JOHANNESBURG – Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube says if negotiations for the Common Market for East and Southern Africa - East African Community - South African Development Corporation Tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) are successfully completed, Zimbabwean goods and commodities will find greater markets on the continent.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is to deliver its final ruling on a tax dispute between Thailand and the Philippines next week. The ruling is expected to have an impact on the tax system, the cigarette industry and customs valuation practice. The Philippine government in 2008 petitioned the WTO that Thailand was conducting unfair customs practice by rejecting the import price declared by US-based Philip Morris for cigarettes it manufactured in the Philippines.

MOSCOW, June 9 (Xinhua) -- All key issues concerning Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been resolved, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said here on Thursday. Speaking at a meeting on the industrial assembly and production of car components as part of Russia's WTO negotiation process, Putin said all "dispute issues" have been resolved, including the launch of the Customs Union that groups Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Before the establishment of the Customs Union, the three nations have agreed to seek the joint accession to the WTO.

COLOMBO, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's health ministry has ordered the custom authorities to enforce a new strict regulation on food imports, a minister said Thursday. "According to the new regulation, food importers must ensure that the foods reach the country prior to a minimum of 60 percent of time before the expiry date," said Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena. Sirisena said the new regulation will come into effect on Aug. 1.

A summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will be held in Pretoria on June 11 and 12 to discuss the progress made towards a tripartite free trade agreement (FTA). The first Tripartite Summit, held in 2008 in Kampala, Uganda, agreed on a programme of "harmonization" of trading arrangements amongst the three regional FTAs, the free movement of business personnel, and the joint implementation of inter-regional infrastructure programmes.

Singapore, June 9 (AFP) Oil rose in Asian trade today after OPEC failed to agree to raise output to aid a faltering global economy, analysts said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, gained 49 cents to USD 101.23 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for July delivery rose 27 cents to USD 118.12. "Crude is rallying because of OPEC at discord, failing to reach an agreement on higher output levels," Victor Shum, a Singapore-based analyst at Purvin and Gertz international energy consultancy, told AFP.

Ottawa — The Canadian government will not withdraw a challenge at the World Trade Organization despite a call from the European Union to abandon the fight over a ban on seal products, an official said Wednesday. A spokesman for Trade Minister Ed Fast said Canada will pursue its bid to overturn a European Union ban on the importation of seal products. Adam Taylor made the comments after the European Parliament issued a resolution Wednesday suggesting the challenge be abandoned before the parliament votes on ratifying a trade agreement with Canada.

Sydney. Australia insisted Thursday that its suspension of live cattle exports to Indonesia after cruelty claims complied with world trade rules as calls grow for graziers to be compensated. Prime Minister Julia Gillard hit back at suggestions that the ban of all live cattle exports to Indonesia for up to six months, announced Wednesday, could be in breach of World Trade Organization requirements. "What we have done does not breach the World Trade Organization rules," she told public broadcaster ABC.

HANOI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A seminar to exchange experience and promote cooperation between Vietnamese and Italian businesses was held here on Wednesday by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and Italian embassy in Vietnam. Cooperation between Vietnam and Italy has witnessed new development. The two sides have taken full advantages of each other's potential to boost trade and investment. However, the two- way trade turnover in recent years has not yet met both sides' potential, MPI Deputy Minister Dang Huy Dong said at the seminar.

SINGAPORE, June 8 (Bernama) — The EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions is anticipated to conclude over the next few months and will come into effect by the second-half of 2012, says Chief European Union Negotiator Rupert Schlegelmilch. He said the agreement would be the most comprehensive and advance for both parties. "We are close to finish. (However), we are still discussing a broad range of issues which include the rule of origin, procurement, technical norms and others.