India will sign a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Japan on Wednesday, setting the stage for free bilateral trade of goods and services. The pact will be India's third major market-opening pact within an year and will be initialled by Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Seiji Maehara, in Tokyo.

(Reuters) - Transparency campaigners have hauled the European Union's executive to court for withholding documents about free trade talks with India, intensifying pressure on the bloc to make its policy-making less secretive. The lawsuit, lodged with the EU's second-highest court on Tuesday, accuses the EU Commission of breaking transparency and democracy rules by refusing to disclose to campaigners details of plans shared with EU industry on how to open Indian markets.

Vietnam-US trade turnover reached US$18.324 billion in 2010, 19 percent higher than in the previous year. This is the highest figure ever recorded since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1995 with a total turnover of US$451 million. According to the US Department of Commerce, Vietnam exported US$14.784 billion of goods to the US in 2010, (up 20 percent) and imported US$3.539 billion, (up 7 percent).

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) The US share in India's textile exports has increased, whereas shipments to the European Union (EU) have declined in the current fiscal, reflecting different economic scenarios in the world's two major economies. According to disaggregate data, for April-September 2010-11 period, the share of the US in India's total textile exports has increased to about 20 per cent from a shade in the 19 per cent in the year ago.

  PARIS — Developed economies still recovering from the financial crisis are looking for ways to regain momentum as the global economy shifts in favor of China and other emerging markets. That task will be high on the agenda when finance ministers of the Group of 20 leading economies meet here this week, three months after President Obama and other G-20 leaders sparred at a tension-filled gathering in Seoul over how to resolve the trade, currency and monetary imbalances that are widening a divide in the world economy.

BEIJING — Everyone who is willing Japan to find the elixir to revive its listless economy and put off its day of reckoning with the bond markets should mark June on their calendars. That is when Prime Minister Naoto Kan, if he is still in office — and it is a big if — will decide whether Japan will enter talks about a U.S.-led Asia-Pacific free trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Vietnam’s exports to South Africa will gain many favourable conditions in 2011 if the country’s economy maintains the predicted growth rate of 3.5-4 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Africa, West Asia and South Asia Markets Departments. South Africa’s Government is increasing public investment to create jobs, and reduce the unemployment rate, therefore, the demand for imports is being maintained. Meanwhile, Vietnamese goods are gradually winning confidence in this market. The MoIT will push projects to promote exports to the African market.

Buoyant export figures in January promise sunny prospects for Vietnamese exports in 2011. Vietnam’s total export value hit $6 billion in January, surging 18.1 per cent on-year. Of the key export items, rubber posted most impressive growth with 80,000 tonnes being exported, hiking 46.5 per cent on-year. Seafood raked in $400 million in the export value, up 30 per cent on-year. Electronic items and computers saw growth of 28.4 per cent obtaining $300 million in total export value.

Vietnam plans to increase its rice exports this year in a move to assist farmers. Truong Thanh Phong, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), told yesterday meeting that besides exporting to Indonesia and Bangladesh, VFA would try to secure orders from Cuba, Iraq, Malaysia and the Philippines. Mr. Phong stated that Vietnamese rice has an advantage over Thai and Pakistani rice as it is cheaper.

BOGOTA, Feb. 11 - Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said Friday that she expected the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be ratified by the U.S. Congress this year."We hope the agreement to be approved this year. We cannot keep begging any longer although we know its importance for the country, businessmen and employment," Holguin told Caracol Radio.