PHNOM PENH, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Ministry of Commerce and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of bilateral trade. The MoU was inked between Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh and Wan Jifei, visiting chairman of CCPIT and president of China Chamber of International Commerce. Speaking before the signing ceremony, Cham Prasidh said the agreement will be useful for Cambodia to strengthen and expand trade cooperation with China.

A major negotiating breakthrough is required if the Doha Round is to reach a successful conclusion, with many gaps remaining unbridgeable, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization has said.

Singapore, May 23 (AFP) Oil was down in Asian trade today as investor sentiment took a hit partly from worries over weak US demand, analysts said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, lost 95 cents to USD 99.15 a barrel, while Brent North Sea crude for July delivery dipped 70 cents to USD 111.69. "Crude oil prices were weaker as US economic recovery is sputtering and fuel demand may drop," said Ker Chung Yang, commodity analyst from Phillip Futures in Singapore.

DONGGUAN, China — China’s export juggernaut is not unstoppable: Just ask Lawrence Yen, president of Woodworth Wooden Industries. His factory here in southern China used to ship 400 containers of bedroom furniture to the United States each month. It now sends 60. That is just what Yen’s struggling American competitors were hoping would happen when, back in January 2005, the Commerce Department slapped import tariffs on Chinese-made beds, nightstands and related wares.

Colombia’s free trade agreement with Switzerland will enter into force from July 1, making the European nation the first developed country to sign such an agreement with Colombia. The treaty, ratified by the Colombian Congress in December 17, 2009, will offer Colombia access to a market of some 7.6 million people with an average per capita income of $43,000 a year.

* China's growing dominance in region helps motivate talks* Wal-Mart official says TPP pact would help U.S. growth* APEC countries mull environmental goods trade initiative (Adds quotes from Kirk interview)BIG SKY, Montana, May 19 (Reuters) - The United States and eight other Asia Pacific countries agreed on Thursday to strive for the "broad outlines" of a free trade pact by the time President Barack Obama hosts a regional summit in Hawaii in November.

Mumbai, May 22 (PTI) The Cotton Association of India (CAI) has requested the Centre to allow exports of cotton without any quantitative restrictions. In a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the association has sought immediate steps to make exports of cotton free under OGL (open general licence) without any quantitative restrictions. Cotton exports have not been permitted since the end of February which has resulted in almost 30 per cent crash in prices, CAI President DhirenSheth said.

India is soon going to launch negotiations to have a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) with Latin American trading bloc MERCOSUR even as it looks to “expedite” the talks to have a preferential trade agreement with the South African Customs Union (SACU). In order to boost South-South trade, India, SACU and MERCOSUR are also planning to have a trilateral trade agreement soon.

VNEconomyNews.com - Bilateral trade between Vietnam and South Asian countries reached 1.265 billion USD in the first three months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 64.7 per cent, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has reported. Vietnam 's export revenue grew a whopping 148.5 percent to hit 512 million USD and its imports made a 34 per cent gain to reach 753 million USD.

BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and China should put more emphasis on economic cooperation while maintaining the all-dimensional relationship, Pakistani Prime Minister YousufRazaGilani said here Friday. During an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet, Gilani expressed that in light of the all-dimensional relationship, economic cooperation should be further enhanced. He proposed to target for a bilateral trade volume of 15 billion U.S. dollars within two years.