Topics: ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) REGIONAL INTEGRATION REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS (RTAS) SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS (GVCS) WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) PREFERENTIAL TRADE AGREEMENT (PTA) TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (TRIPS) SERVICES GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES (GATS) TRADE IN SERVICES AGREEMENT (TISA) GLOBAL ECONOMY EUROPEAN UNION (EU) ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS (EPA) ASIA-PACIFC ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC) ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP) INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) WILDLIFE TRADE G20 NAFTA MERCOSUR BREXIT G7/G8 CLIMATE CHANGE TRADE FACILITATION DEVELOPMENT UNITED NATIONS (UN) AFRICAN UNION (AU) MEGA-REGIONAL AGREEMENT WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE GENDER UNDEFINED AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT (AGOA) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BILATERAL INTEGRATION AGRICULTURE GROUP OF SEVEN (G7) GROUP OF EIGHT (G8) PROTECTIONISM IMPORT TARIFFS SUBSIDIES ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS) PHARMACEUTICALS ELECTRONIC COMMERCE DIGITAL ECONOMY NON-TARIFF BARRIERS INVESTOR-STATE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT (ISDS) RENEWABLE ENERGY PLURILATERAL AGREEMENT EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY (EAC) WORLD BANK SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) EMERGING ECONOMIES ECONOMIC GROWTH GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT TARIFFS ENERGY LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDCS) AID FOR TRADE E15 INITIATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS AND SERVICES (EGS) OECD FISHERIES SUGAR AFRICAN CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC COUNTRIES (ACP) CUSTOMS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) GEOGRAPHIC INDICATORS REGULATORY COHERENCE NAIROBI MINISTERIAL REGIONALISM COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (COMESA) ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (AEC) INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES (GSP) RULES OF ORIGIN (ROO) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT (ITA) DOHA ROUND BALI AGREEMENT
Agreements: ASEAN FREE TRADE AREA TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP) EUROPEAN UNION-CANADA COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC AND TRADE AGREEMENT (CETA) NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA) COMMON MARKET OF THE SOUTH (MERCOSUR)
Regions: ASIA-PACIFIC AFRICA EUROPEAN UNION (EU) SOUTH AFRICA AUSTRALIA CANADA NEW ZEALAND SINGAPORE JAPAN NORTH AMERICA PERU UNITED STATES SOUTH KOREA LATIN AMERICA BRICS CHILE COLOMBIA MEXICO UNITED KINGDOM INDIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA CHINA LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (LAC) SWITZERLAND KOREA, REP. BRUNEI DARUSSALAM MALAYSIA VIETNAM ARGENTINA BRAZIL PARAGUAY URUGUAY SOUTHEAST ASIA EUROPE INDONESIA AFRICA BRUNEI GERMANY WEST AFRICA REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS SOUTHERN CONE SRI LANKA ECUADOR SOUTHERN AFRICA CARIBBEAN PACIFIC EAST AFRICA AFGHANISTAN KENYA
Leaders from 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies wrapped up their annual summit this past weekend in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, tackling a host of subjects relating to region... READ MORE
South African leaders met with their European counterparts in Brussels for a presidential summit on 15 November to discuss future opportunities for cooperation, including on economic issues. Discus... READ MORE
A series of high-level summits in the Asia-Pacific region are getting underway this week, kicking off with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and concluding with the Asia-Pacific Ec... READ MORE
A series of high-level summits in the Asia-Pacific region are getting underway this week, kicking off with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and concluding with the Asia-Pacific Ec... READ MORE
The European Commission recently circulated updates on the progress seen in two different negotiating processes, specifically with Indonesia and New Zealand, earlier this month, referring to valuab... READ MORE
The European Commission recently circulated updates on the progress seen in two different negotiating processes, specifically with Indonesia and New Zealand, earlier this month, referring to valuab... READ MORE
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has now been ratified by six signatories, meeting the minimum threshold to take effect by the end of this year.&nbs...; READ MORE
Last week, Australia’s Senate passed legislation ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the sweeping trade accord signed by 11 Pacific Ri... READ MORE
Leaders from the European Union and from a host of Asian countries are meeting in Brussels, Belgium, this week for a high-level gathering that is due to tackle subjects like economic cooperation, t... READ MORE
Ministers representing 16 Asia-Pacific countries called for “further improvements” in negotiating a sweeping trade accord, while outlining some advances in talks on the framework of rul... READ MORE
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) celebrated late last month its one-year anniversary since its provisional entry into force, with officials meeting in a &... READ MORE
The world’s third largest economy should consider taking a “fresh look” at the economic policy strategy known as “Abenomics,” according to a report issued by the Inter... READ MORE
In late September, an interagency US committee issued a report via the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that deemed that while Peru has made valuable headway in its forest ma... READ MORE
Canada, Mexico, and the United States have clinched a deal to revise and replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the trade accord that has governed regional cross-border commerce s... READ MORE
US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a joint statement from New York on Wednesday 26 September where they announced plans to start formal negotiations for a bilat... READ MORE
Trade and investment ministers from the G20 coalition of major advanced and emerging economies met last Friday in Mar del Plata, Argentina, calling for intensified “dialogue and action”... READ MORE
Officials from the South American customs bloc Mercosur held negotiating meetings last week with South Korea and the European Union, respectively, as the coalition looks to cement trade ties with n... READ MORE
The coming months are due to see high levels of activity on trade in the Asia-Pacific, as different country coalitions work to make progress on their respective agendas for regional economic integr... READ MORE
Negotiators from the US and Canada have met repeatedly over the past fortnight, including this week, in the hopes of finalising a deal to modernise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) a... READ MORE
Leaders from the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – met from 25-27 July for the group’s tenth annual summit, in which they pledged to enhance coope... READ MORE
The European Commission recently circulated reports about the early negotiating rounds with Australia and New Zealand, respectively, for free trade agreements (FTAs) with both countries, indicating... READ MORE
Negotiators looking to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have resumed a busy agenda of meetings at ministerial and technical levels, including talks planned between the US and... READ MORE
Trade and foreign ministers from Australia and the United Kingdom met last week to advance preparations for a bilateral trade deal between their countries, including discussions on the implications... READ MORE
Negotiators and ministers from the EU and Mercosur held a series of meetings this month in Brussels, Belgium, to take stock of their efforts to develop a trade accord, along with whether they shoul... READ MORE
The presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru wrapped up a presidential summit for the Pacific Alliance this week, agreeing to bring the bloc closer with the neighbouring customs union Mercos... READ MORE
Leaders from the EU and Japan signed a sweeping free trade accord in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday 17 July, touting the accord as a testament of their support for the rules-based, multilateral trading s... READ MORE
Officials from the UK and US held a series of both technical and high-level political meetings last week on trade relations post-Brexit, including the fourth session of a bilateral “Trade and... READ MORE
Last week, delegates and trade ministers from BRICS economies met in Magaliesburg, South Africa to discuss ways to strengthen the multilateral trade system and foster closer economic cooperation be... READ MORE
The top trade officials from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) coalition have pledged to endorse a “package of outcomes” by the end of the year, in a bid to help wr... READ MORE
Mexico’s left-wing presidential candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, won national elections on Sunday 1 July, setting the stage for the Morena Party leader to take office in... READ MORE
Legislation to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is making its way through both the Canadian and Japanese legislatures, officials say, bringing the deal clo... READ MORE
On Monday 18 June, the EU and Australia formally launched negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström travelled to meet with Australian Pri... READ MORE
Italy’s agriculture minister has hinted that his country’s legislature might not ratify a major free trade agreement between the EU and Canada, citing concerns over whether the existing... READ MORE
One month after negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the United States were unable to meet an informal deadline for modernising the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), talks are reportedly... READ MORE
This year’s G7 annual summit drew to a close on Saturday 9 June, capping two days of leaders’ level discussions that focused heavily on the implications that unilateral trade measures c... READ MORE
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) endorsed a statement aimed at facilitating trade across its members’ borders, with the regional economic grouping also pledging to support the mult... READ MORE
India and Singapore have clinched a deal to update their Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), in a bid to boost bilateral trade and facilitate economic cooperation on multiple front... READ MORE
Leaders from the G7 coalition of advanced economies are due to arrive in Charlevoix, Canada, on Friday 8 June for two days of meetings that are expected to focus heavily on trade.
This ye... READ MORE
Small-scale cross-border trade – often referred to as informal cross-border trade – is a pervasive phenomenon in Africa. As such, it holds fundamental social and economic development im... READ MORE
The trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member states gathered from 25 to 26 May in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea for their 24th annual meet. Papua New Guinea and World... READ MORE
Trade ministers from the EU’s 28 member states gave their backing on Tuesday 22 May for the launch of negotiations for trade accords with Australia and New Zealand, paving the way for formal... READ MORE
Two months after over 40 nations signed a framework agreement for an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signatories are now beginning the ratification process, while also looking at the... READ MORE
Top officials from China and New Zealand called this week for ramping up negotiating efforts to clinch an updated trade deal, highlighting the value this could have for warding off protectionist pr... READ MORE
High-level talks last week to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) closed without any major breakthrough in efforts to reach an agreement in principle, with trade ministers pledgi... READ MORE
The fourth round of negotiations between the Pacific Alliance and its “associate members” kicked off on Saturday 12 May, in Ottawa, Canada and will wrap on Friday 18 May, as officials a... READ MORE
Negotiators from the EU and South American customs bloc Mercosur are reportedly due to reconvene this month, as officials push for an agreement in principle that would help wrap up the nearly two-d... READ MORE
Negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the US have resumed high-level discussions aimed at bringing talks for updating their North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to a successful close, with of... READ MORE
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered in Singapore on Saturday 28 April to review the bloc’s goals going forward, with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Lo... READ MORE
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Sydney this week to discuss with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pathways to regional and bilateral cooperation on a suite of pressing policy iss... READ MORE
The EU and Mexico have finalised an “agreement in principle” to update their 18-year-old trade deal, with the revisions due to increase agricultural market access substantially, along w... READ MORE
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) members have undertaken a series of high-level meetings over the past week, in a bid to accelerate and finalise talks to update the 24-year-old trade... READ MORE
The past week has seen a series of potential signals from the US on next steps for different trade negotiating processes, amid varying statements from US President Donald Trump on whether he may pu... READ MORE
Negotiators working to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are looking at whether they could announce an agreement “in principle” within the coming weeks, though vari... READ MORE
Trade officials from the United Kingdom have been meeting with their US and Australian counterparts over the past fortnight to continue setting the stage for deeper economic ties and possible trade... READ MORE
Seoul and Washington have reached an agreement “in principle” that would revise the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), South Korea’s trade ministry confirmed this week. The te... READ MORE
Trade negotiations between China, Japan, and South Korea resumed from 22-23 March, nearly one year after officials held their previous round. The three countries are also part of a broader effort t... READ MORE
African leaders gathered at an extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU) in Kigali, Rwanda, on Wednesday 21 March to launch the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with high hopes ac... READ MORE
This week, finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s 20 major advanced and emerging economies meeting in Buenos Aires sought to find common ground on trade and called for... READ MORE
Negotiators from the US and South Korea met last week in Washington to continue discussions on amending their free trade agreement, known also as the KORUS FTA. The talks come at a time of heighten... READ MORE
The 11 countries forming the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are now beginning their domestic processes to ratify the accord, with the hopes of bringin... READ MORE
Negotiations to clinch a trade deal and association agreement between the EU and Mercosur are slated to be extended further, though officials say they hope an agreement in principle can be wrapped... READ MORE
Officials from the EU and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged on Friday 2 March to speed up their efforts to negotiate free trade agreements, both at the bilateral level and... READ MORE
Trade negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the United States finished work on three more chapters of an updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during their seventh round of talks in Me... READ MORE
Last week, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull travelled to Washington for a series of meetings on economic cooperation, outlining his views on the future of trade in the Asia-Pacific and of... READ MORE
Countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are preparing to gather in Santiago, Chile, in two weeks to sign the updated trade accord, whose text... READ MORE
Canada and the South American trading bloc Mercosur are reportedly expected to announce the formal launch of trade talks next month, during a meeting on 9 March between Canadian trade minister Fran... READ MORE
Officials from some EU member states and the bloc’s executive branch have affirmed in recent weeks that the US’ continued participation in the UN’s Paris Agreement on climate chan... READ MORE
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded a trip to the US this past weekend to discuss trade and other areas of cooperation with state and local leaders, touting the potential for an update... READ MORE
African national leaders concluded the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union last week, with the summit adopting a series of decisions on issues related to continental economic... READ MORE
The second round of the Pacific Alliance’s negotiations with its potential “associate members” wrapped up on Friday 2 February in Gold Coast, Australia, with officials from the co... READ MORE
Ministers have been meeting in Brussels this week, hoping to get within the final stretch of sealing a long-awaited trade deal uniting the EU and the four members of Mercosur, the South American co... READ MORE
Ministers from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries said on Monday 29 January that they had essentially wrapped up a chapter on anti-corruption and advanced in various other ne... READ MORE
The 11 remaining Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are set to sign their final agreement this March in Chile, after chief negotiators from the participating economies resolved the last stic... READ MORE
Efforts continue apace for the expected launch of EU-Australia trade talks, with Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo READ MORE
Officials from the European Union and Chile concluded a weeklong round of negotiations in Santiago, Chile, last Friday, aiming to set the stage for updating their trade accord, which dates back ove... READ MORE
The new year will see the next stage in the Brexit negotiations between the United Kingdom and the other 27 EU member states, after the latter group, meeting under the European Council, called for... READ MORE
Last week, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched his country’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2018. As the Philippines passes along the b... READ MORE
Trade negotiations between the EU and a number of Latin American countries are picking up in the new year, with officials aiming to clinch an updated EU-Mexico agreement and a long-waited EU-Mercos... READ MORE
The WTO’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference has drawn to a close, capping a busy week of talks which saw members only able to endorse limited substantive outcomes at the multilateral level. The... READ MORE
The WTO’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference formally began on Sunday 10 December, with leaders from various countries issuing the “Buenos Aires Declaration,” highlighting the import... READ MORE
African countries concluded an intense month of talks as part of the negotiating process towards the establishment of the Continental free trade area (CFTA), with the fourth Meeting of African Mini... READ MORE
Australia and Singapore now have an updated version of their nearly fifteen-year-old trade pact in force, one year after their top trade officials signed a new amendment to the accord.
The o... READ MORE
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang finished highly-anticipated meetings in Beijing this week, announcing “new joint partnerships” and a joint sta... READ MORE
The past couple of weeks have seen a series of developments in the long-running US-Canada row over softwood lumber trade. Canada has lately launched cases under the North American Free Trade Agreem... READ MORE
Negotiators from the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur are ramping up their efforts to finalise a trade accord between them, with the hopes of announcing a political deal on the m... READ MORE
The EU and Mexico have concluded a sixth round of talks to update their existing trade accord, reporting advances on a series of negotiating areas and confirming that they will meet again in Brusse... READ MORE
Negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the US have concluded their fifth round of talks to modernise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the last such meeting of 2017 following an intens... READ MORE
The EU and Chile have formally kicked off negotiations to modernise their existing Association Agreement, including its trade component, holding their first round of talks last week in Brussels, Be... READ MORE
Leaders of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies concluded their 25th annual meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, on 11 November. Preceded by several weeks of technical, thematic... READ MORE
Chile and China are set to update their bilateral trade pact, with officials signing a protocol to amend the deal last week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit i... READ MORE
Trade negotiations in the WTO context and with major partners were high on the agenda as European trade ministers met within the EU Foreign Affairs Council last week in Brussels, Belgium. The 10 No... READ MORE
Trade ministers from the 11 remaining Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries announced last week that they are within striking distance of a plan to bring the trade agreement into force, which t... READ MORE
While the nexus between trade policy, gender equality, and sustainable development is increasingly clear, a new generation of free trade agreements is incorporating trade and gender chapters, signa... READ MORE
Advancing on trade rule-making in various regional contexts – including negotiating an EU-Australia trade accord and advancing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) process – could pla... READ MORE
The French government gave the green light to an “action plan” last week for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), following a domestic review of the trade ac... READ MORE
The Pacific Alliance met with its incoming “associate members” for the first round of formal free trade negotiations last week in the Colombian city of Cali. The talks aim to confirm Au... READ MORE
The 20th round of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) concluded in Incheon, South Korea last week, where delegates sought to build convergence on... READ MORE
Negotiators from the 11 remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are due to convene in Japan early next week, in a bid to advance talks significantly before ministers and leaders co... READ MORE
The US is set to use a provision in its trade accord with Peru to bar entry to imported timber from Inversiones La Oroza, a Peruvian exporter, according to an announcement from the Office of the US... READ MORE
Negotiations between the 28-nation EU and the South American customs bloc Mercosur are entering a key stage, as officials debate sensitive issues such as market access concessions ahead of a Decemb... READ MORE
One year after enacting the EU-South African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), officials from the EU and South Africa gathered in Johannesburg to review its progres... READ MORE
Negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the United States completed their fourth round of negotiations for modernising the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Tuesday 17 October, with minis... READ MORE
Leaders from the EU and India are pushing to see the “timely relaunch” of their long-running trade talks, reaffirming their continued interest in advancing the negotiations following a... READ MORE
Officials from the US and South Korea concluded their second “special session” of their joint committee under their bilateral trade deal, agreeing to consider possible changes to the ac... READ MORE
Talks between the EU and Indonesia for a free trade accord have advanced to “text-based” negotiations in the majority of areas under consideration, according to a report published by th... READ MORE
Ministers from Canada, Mexico, and the United States announced last week that they have made steady progress in their latest negotiating round on modernising the North American Free Trade Agreement... READ MORE
Trade ministers from Australia and Indonesia announced last week that the two countries would aim to clinch a bilateral trade pact by November, bringing forward their previous target date in an eff... READ MORE
Negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP-11, resumed late last week in Tokyo, Japan, as officials debated a series of proposed options for advancing the accord before key meetings in O... READ MORE
On Monday 18 September, UK Prime Minister Theresa May visited Canada to discuss the terms of the trading relationship between the nations post-Brexit, announcing after that the two sides plan to us... READ MORE
Officials are preparing for the upcoming review later this year of certain chapters within the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), with ministers from Beijing and Canberra meeting in the... READ MORE
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Europe and Canada is set to start its provisional application on Thursday 21 September, slashing duties on over 98 percent of tariff li... READ MORE
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told a Washington audience this week that trade watchers should “expect change, expect new approaches, and expect action” in the current Trump... READ MORE
Fifty years after the signing of its founding declaration, how much has the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) achieved in terms of regional integration? What are the main lessons that... READ MORE
In January 2012, African leaders adopted the decision to establish a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) by the indicative date of 2017, an important step in the African Union’s larger integra... READ MORE
Can African countries simultaneously foster trade liberalisation, economic growth, and human rights in the context of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)? A recent study argues that they can, an... READ MORE
Bridges Africa met with Albert Muchanga, the African Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Industry, to discuss the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) currently under negotiation.
READ MORE
What are the challenges facing the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA). The analysis of the... READ MORE
Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa concluded their ninth “BRICS” Summit last week, signing off on a declaration which covered topics such as economic cooperatio... READ MORE
Economic ministers from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries pledged to ramp up their negotiating efforts on an extensive regional free trade deal, following a meeting i... READ MORE
Officials are gearing up for another negotiating round in the efforts to modernise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with the next set of talks due for 23-27 September. The gathering... READ MORE
Senior officials from the 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) nations are gearing up for another set of meetings in Japan later this month, aiming to build on their discussions in Australia in late... READ MORE
Representatives from the African Union’s (AU) member states and experts from African regional economic communities, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United... READ MORE
African and US officials, private secto... READ MORE
Australia’s Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said<... READ MORE
Canada, Mexico, and the United States are preparing for the formal launch of negotiations to upgrade the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – a process that i... READ MORE
Trade officials from 16 countries finished up the nineteenth round of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Hyderabad, India, last week, aiming to pave the way f... READ MORE
Negotiators from the EU and Japan are ramping up their work to clinch a bilateral trade agreement, with reports suggesting that the two sides are tentatively hoping to have a political deal in plac... READ MORE
US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer discussed with lawmakers the Trump administration’s trade policy priorities for the coming year, covering areas such as the renegotiation of t... READ MORE
Members of the G20 coalition of major advanced and emerging economies are gearing up for their leaders' summit in Hamburg, scheduled from 7-8 July. The high-level event, which is being held thi... READ MORE
Officials from governments, international agencies, the private sector, and civil society discussed policy plans and ideas for how to address the gender trade gap during the International Forum on... READ MORE
Australia, New Zealand, and eight Pacific island countries signed the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) last week in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, eight years after negoti... READ MORE
US and New Zealand officials are exploring options to deepen bilateral trade ties, with the possibility of formal trade talks being floated. New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay met with US trade... READ MORE
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called for taking steps to support multilateralism and the rules-based international order during a speech in Ottawa, Canada, on 6 June, along with outli... READ MORE
Economic officials from the US and Mexico announced on Tuesday 6 June that they had reached a draft deal to prevent trade remedies planned by Washington on imported Mexican sugar, capping a prolong... READ MORE
Australian and Peruvian trade officials announced last week the start of formal talks towards reaching a free trade agreement (FTA), with the first negotiating round scheduled for July. The news wa... READ MORE
Leaders from the G7 nations met in the Sicilian town of Taormina from 26-27 May, with hot-button issues such as trade, inequality, the global economy, and climate change featuring on their agenda.... READ MORE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Berlin this week, calling for renewed efforts towards boosting trade ties between New Delhi and the European Union. &l...; READ MORE
The US and the EU are planning to develop a “joint action plan” on trade, reports suggest, after leaders met in Brussels, Belgium, late last week. US President Donald Trump met with Eur... READ MORE
The past weekend saw ministerial meetings of multiple configurations in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, as officials discussed the future of various trade-related initiatives in the region. The main eve... READ MORE
US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer notified Congress last week of the planned renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), kicking off a 90-day period before talk... READ MORE
Economic and trade relations between Brazil and South Africa need to be strengthened, insisted Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and her... READ MORE
The Canadian Senate approved legislation last week for implementing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union. The move is one of the final stages... READ MORE
Canada and the South American trading bloc Mercosur have recently resumed preparations for potentially negotiating a future trade agreement, officials say, nearly five years after exploratory talks... READ MORE
The European Union and Mexico are “committed” to finishing talks to revamp their decades-old trade agreement this year, according to the EU’s top trade official. EU Trade Commissi... READ MORE
The preliminary determination reached by the US Department of Commerce last month to levy countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports has been met with reports of potential Canadian t... READ MORE
Senior officials from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries met in Toronto, Canada, on 2-3 May for preparatory discussions on next steps before a ministers’ level gathering in Hanoi,... READ MORE
US President Donald Trump issued an executive order last weekend ordering a review of all trade deals involving the United States, which he said would play a role in keeping “jobs and wealth... READ MORE
The past weeks have seen a flurry of trade activity in Washington and beyond, including a trip by US Vice President Mike Pence to Asia; meetings between top American and European trade officials; a... READ MORE
The US is hoping to launch negotiations with South Korea on upgrading their five-year-old trade deal, also known as the KORUS FTA, according to comments made by US Vice President Mike Pence during... READ MORE
Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra stressed the value of multilateralism during a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, this week, months before her country is due to host the WTO's Eleventh Min... READ MORE
Members of the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) parliament's Committee on Health and Social Service and Committee on Trade, Customs and Free Movement held a joint session... READ MORE
The past week has seen various meetings on advancing regional integration projects in the Asia-Pacific, including a new round of talks between China, South Korea, and Japan on a trilateral trade de... READ MORE
Negotiations for both an EU-Mexico trade deal upgrade and a new EU-Japan trade agreement continued last week, with officials in both contexts suggesting that these efforts are progressing steadily.... READ MORE
Ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) major advanced and emerging economies met in the German city of Düsseldorf from 6-7 April for talks on how to expand internet access and support the development... READ MORE
On Friday 7 April, ministers from Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance convened in Buenos Aires for talks on developing closer ties between the two regional mechanisms, representing the second ministe... READ MORE
Experts from the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Developme... READ MORE
In official visits to Australia and New Zealand over the past week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with government and business leaders to discuss economic ties and cooperation, while outlining pla... READ MORE
Negotiators meeting to advance a planned EU-Mercosur Association Agreement, including a free trade deal, finished their 27th round of talks last Friday in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a joint commun... READ MORE
The EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are preparing to examine the prospect of re-launching talks for a region-to-region trade accord, nearly eight years after the original... READ MORE
The past week has seen a series of regional integration efforts continue among Asia-Pacific economies, including a two-day summit among the signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and se... READ MORE
Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), called on G-20 officials preparing to meet in the German city of Baden-Baden later this week to keep the “mo... READ MORE
Efforts to lay the groundwork for possible negotiations on a bilateral Canada-China trade deal continue underway, with Canadian officials launching a three-month domestic consultations period last... READ MORE
Boosting economic ties with the Asia-Pacific region is one of the main items on the EU trade docket this week, as the bloc’s top trade official travels to Singapore and the Philippines for ta... READ MORE
The World Trade Organization announced on Wednesday 22 February that the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) has now entered into force, having surpassed the minimum requirement of 110 ratifications... READ MORE
Efforts on behalf of the EU and Mexico to modernise a sixteen-year old free trade agreement have been ramped up, following a phone call between EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Mexican E... READ MORE
Sri Lanka aims to finalise a free trade agreement (FTA) with China later this year, said the country's ambassador to Beijing last weekend. The two Asian economies have been negotiating&nbs...; READ MORE
Various meetings between ministers from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are on the docket in the coming weeks, as the remaining signatories of the Pacific Rim accord weigh their next... READ MORE
Trade negotiations between the 28-nation European Union and Indonesia are kicking into gear, according to EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström. The two sides launched negotiations last year, con... READ MORE
The United Kingdom and the United States are examining how to move ahead with preliminary trade negotiations, according to UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who met with her American counterpart last... READ MORE
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington to discuss trade and security matters in what will be the first face-to-face talks betwee... READ MORE
Exploratory discussions between the UK and Australia for a post-Brexit trade deal are expected to continue this week, media reports suggest, with some officials noting that migration will likely be... READ MORE
The proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a free trade agreement negotiated between Canada and the EU, acquired the support of the European Parliament’s trade committee... READ MORE
"The first week of Donald J. Trump's presidency of the United States has included both executive action and plans for meetings focused on trade, giving some early signals of the possible d... READ MORE
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met in Sydney last weekend to discuss a host of trade issues, including their plans to move forward with the Trans-... READ MORE
Efforts to ratify an EU-Canada trade deal have seen progress in Europe, with the agreement receiving the backing of the European Parliament's environment, public health, and food safety (ENVI)... READ MORE
This paper examines the key elements bearing upon regional integration in Africa. It argues that integration should be conceived as a a means to respond to the development aspirations of societies... READ MORE
Japan’s upper house of parliament ratified the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement on Friday 9 December, marking the final stage for the Asian economy’s approval of the accord.READ MORE
An investor-state arbitration tribunal published its final ruling last week in the row between a US-based wind energy company, Windstream, and the Canadian government. The award brought an end to a... READ MORE
The objective of this paper is to provide policymakers in the fields of trade and sustainable development with a brief overview of the main elements and potential implications of the environmental... READ MORE
The Australian Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) issued its report on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement to the country’s parliament last week, recommending that Canberr... READ MORE
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström affirmed this week that the 28-member bloc is “very close” to finalising talks for a bilateral free trade agreement with Japan, following nearly... READ MORE
The process to bring the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) into force is entering the home stretch, with the Geneva-based organisation reporting that only eight more ratifications are... READ MORE
The next stage in the approval process for the EU-Canada trade pact is now getting underway, officials say, with parliamentary committees in Europe preparing to vote on the accord in the coming wee... READ MORE
US President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he would be pulling the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) upon taking office, in a move that has left fellow Asia-Pac... READ MORE
US President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he would be pulling the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) upon taking office, in a move that has left fellow Asia-Pac... READ MORE
Officials from New Zealand and China have announced their plans to “upgrade” their existing trade deal, which has been in force since 2008. The news was confirmed in a joint ministerial... READ MORE
A planned ministerial meeting for countries involved in negotiating a plurilateral services trade agreement has been called off, sources confirmed, with negotiators and ambassadors to meet instead... READ MORE
A planned ministerial meeting for countries involved in negotiating a plurilateral services trade agreement has been called off, sources confirmed, with negotiators and ambassadors to meet instead... READ MORE
Sustainable Development Goal 9 calls for a commitment to “build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.” Are regional value chains a relev... READ MORE
After years of negotiations, officials gathered in Brussels on Friday 11 November to sign the protocol for Ecuador’s accession to the free trade agreement between the EU’s 28 member sta... READ MORE
Just over one week after the news that Donald Trump will serve as the next president of the United States, key trading partners are working to prepare for the change in leadership in the world&rsqu...; READ MORE
Last week, members of the Tanzanian parliament (MPs) unanimously called on the East African country’s government not to sign an Economic Partnership agreement (EPA) negotiated between the EU... READ MORE
UK officials have continued exploring options for deepening ties with other trading powers in a post-“Brexit” world, as legal challenges continue on home soil regarding whether the gove... READ MORE
Negotiations for the 16-country Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are increasingly making progress towards crafting a future trade and investment deal, officials say, though whethe... READ MORE
Leaders from the EU and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on Sunday, following several weeks of talks to win the required backing of all 28 EU member states. ... READ MORE
With less than one week remaining until US voters go to the polls, officials both from the current Obama administration as well as from other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are ramping u... READ MORE
Economies across sub-Saharan Africa have adopted a record number of reforms to upgrade their business environment over the past year, says the World Bank in its Doing Business 2017, the fourteenth... READ MORE
The European Council is due to begin a two-day leaders’ meeting on Thursday, where they are expected to confirm whether they are in a position to sign a negotiated trade deal with Canada. The... READ MORE
Singaporean and Australian officials signed a series of updates to their existing trade deal last week, particularly in the area of services, following their latest review of the long-standing acco... READ MORE
In Ottawa last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that his country will commence “exploratory talks” as a first step towards potentially negotiating a free trad... READ MORE
EU trade ministers affirmed last week that finishing negotiations on a bilateral trade and investment deal with the US before year’s end is an “unrealistic” goal, following inform... READ MORE
On 22-26 September, African and US ministers, trade officials, civil society, and business sector representatives gathered in Washington D.C. to discuss the implementation of the African Growth and... READ MORE
Members of the European parliament (MEPs) have approved, on 14 September 2016, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and six member states of the Southern African Development Comm... READ MORE
Trade officials from the EU, Canada, and the United States have been pushing two major international accords over the past week, aiming to make a compelling case in time for a key meeting of Europe... READ MORE
Global value chains (GVCs) have become a major feature of the 21st century economy. This paper argues that the expansion and increased sophistication of GVCs has created a new “trade-investme... READ MORE
The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) concluded a series of leaders’ level meetings last week, gathering in Vientiane, Laos, for three days of talks on “Turning Vision into Reali... READ MORE
As the regional integration agenda in Africa gains speed, is the economic engagement of emerging economies on the continent contributing to that agenda? If so, how? If not, can it be leveraged to c... READ MORE
US President Barack Obama continued to make the case for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during a visit to Asia last week, warning of the risk to his country’s leadership prospects abroad... READ MORE
The UK and Australia announced on Wednesday that they are establishing a working group to explore the possible options for a future bilateral trade pact, which the two sides would then begin negotiati... READ MORE
The signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the EAC (East African Community) due to be ratified in October 2016 has been postponed, coming as a surprise to the intern... READ MORE
The EU and Indonesia have now launched negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), officials confirmed this week, with the first round of talks due before year’s e... READ MORE
The new government of UK Prime Minister Theresa May has begun exploring possible options for trade deals with third countries, officials say, though the process to formally launch exit negotiations... READ MORE
US and EU officials reaffirmed last week that they still aim to clinch a bilateral trade and investment pact this year, while acknowledging that much work remains in areas such as market access fol... READ MORE
The Aid for Trade (AfT) initiative launched at the WTO’s 2005 Hong-Kong ministerial meeting has been successful at raising funds. But after five biennial reviews, showing that AfT flows have... READ MORE
June 23 marked the UN Public Service Day, the official international day of recognition for the value and virtue of public service to the community and its role in the development process.
&n...; READ MORE
The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda recognises the important role that trade can play as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development. For this potential to materialise in Africa, however,... READ MORE
Canadian energy giant TransCanada has now filed a request for investor-state arbitration in connection with the US government’s rejection last year of its application to build the cross-borde... READ MORE
Rob Davies, South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry, recently announced the upcoming launch of Trade Africa, which will replace what was previously known as the Africa Export Council.READ MORE
Lawmakers from the US Democratic Party wish to see trade deals that feature stronger environmental and labour protections, while having mixed feelings on the merits of the 12-country Trans-Pacific... READ MORE
The conventional wisdom in trade policy circles for some years now has been that the World Trade Organization (WTO) is incapable of moving ahead meaningfully on a modern trade negotiating agenda. I... READ MORE
Negotiators have held their first round of talks to update a bilateral economic accord between the EU and Mexico, meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on 13-14 June.
[This new... READ MORE
Negotiators meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, last week continued their efforts to finalise talks this year for a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a 16-country trade and investme... READ MORE
The year 2015 was a crucial one for Africa regarding the negotiation of the first continent-wide investment agreement: the Pan-African Investment Code (PAIC).
[This news item is... READ MORE
WTO members are preparing to put in place the first new global trade deal in decades – the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) – given that three-quarters of the ratifications needed for... READ MORE
Argentina is now an official observer to the Pacific Alliance, the South American bloc that includes Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru as full members. As a result of the 9 June move, which wi... READ MORE
On 10 June, six countries from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – specifically, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland – signed an Economic... READ MORE
WTO members are preparing to put in place the first new global trade deal in decades – the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) – given that three-quarters of the ratifications needed for... READ MORE
On 10 June, six countries from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – specifically, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland – signed an Economic... READ MORE
Making progress in current and future trade negotiations was touted as a valuable way for increasing productivity and generating inclusive growth, according to a joint ministerial communiqué issued... READ MORE
Representatives from the African Union’s (AU) member states held the second session of the Continental Free Trade Area Negotiating Forum (CFTA-NF), continuing their work aimed at laying the f... READ MORE
Leaders from the G-7 coalition of major advanced economies issued a harsh warning last week over the ramifications a “Brexit” would have on the global economy, including for trade and i... READ MORE
US President Barack Obama said on Monday that he is “confident” that his country’s Congress will be able to ratify a sweeping 12-country trade deal, even as election politics and... READ MORE
The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA, in French: Fédération Internationale des Associations de Transitaires et Assimilés) released on 17 May 2016 a READ MORE
Australia and Singapore have agreed on a series of steps to build on their 2003 trade deal, officials announced earlier this month. The measures are in the context of the READ MORE
The European Commission has confirmed plans to submit a proposal to the European Council in June for signing the 28-nation bloc’s trade deal with Canada, amid continued questions over the pac... READ MORE
The EU and Mercosur exchanged offers on goods and services in their trade talks last week, in an effort to give new momentum to the long-running negotiations. The move comes amid a turbulent politi... READ MORE
New Zealand lawmakers held their first “reading” last week of an omnibus bill that would enact the necessary changes to domestic law for bringing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agr... READ MORE
Two months ahead of the nominating conventions for the US’ main political parties, the remaining presidential contenders continue to escalate their rhetoric on trade deals, including the Tran... READ MORE
The European Union and Japan should aim to conclude their negotiations for a sweeping free trade deal this year, leaders from both sides said on Tuesday, following high-level meetings in Brussels.&... READ MORE
Negotiators for an EU-US trade and investment deal concluded their thirteenth round of talks on Friday, with both sides reiterating their wishes to conclude an agreement this year, so long as it do... READ MORE
Trade issues took centre stage during the 103rd session of the Council of Ministers of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, which was held on 25-29 April in Dak... READ MORE
Clinching an ambitious bilateral trade and investment pact in the near term remains a key strategic and economic priority, said the US’ and EU’s top trade officials last week, while ack... READ MORE
The Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC10) meeting in Nairobi, Kenya was held in circumstances that left many members questioning the future of the WTO.
[This news item is... READ MORE
The first meeting of the Continental Free Trade Area Negotiating Forum (CFTA-NF) laid the groundwork for upcoming substantive negotiations on Africa’s largest free trade area. Negotiators are... READ MORE
Regional trade and economic ties were high on the agenda during a two-day summit of US and Southeast Asian leaders in the California resort of Sunnylands, held from 15-16 February.
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Members of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) alliance have released documents detailing progress on implementing their joint pledge to cut applied tariffs to five percent or le... READ MORE
The international debate on the potential merits and pitfalls of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement has ramped up in recent weeks, ahead of the pact’s scheduled signing by the part... READ MORE
US President Barack Obama openly called upon domestic lawmakers to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, referring once more to the need for Washington to play a leading role in set... READ MORE
South Africa and the US reached an agreement last week on the technical issues which have been blocking US meat – essentially poultry, pork and beef – imports into the African country.&... READ MORE
Trade ministers continued to disagree over the future of the WTO’s negotiating function, as talks for the organisation’s Tenth Ministerial Conference (MC10) kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya... READ MORE
Negotiations at the WTO’s ministerial meet have gained pace, sources say, with Thursday’s talks set to run through the night as members search for common ground that enables them to adv... READ MORE
A group of 53 WTO members negotiating a tariff-cutting agreement on information and communication technology goods reached a final deal in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday evening, bringing to a close... READ MORE
Trade ministers are arriving in Nairobi, Kenya to begin their latest biennial conference, set to be held from 15-18 December. Whether the WTO meet will indeed be able to yield substantive outcomes... READ MORE
The past year has seen a resurgence of activity in the WTO's rules negotiations, as various members of the global trade body revived debates on how to boost disciplines relating to anti-dumping... READ MORE
As trade delegates gear up for the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya – the first such meeting to ever be held in Africa – expectations are high that the confere... READ MORE
Within a matter of days, trade ministers will gather together in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi for the WTO's Tenth Ministerial Conference, marking the first time that the global trade body... READ MORE
A bid to seal the product list for a tariff-liberalising “Environmental Goods Agreement” (EGA) among a group of 17 WTO members ran into difficulties during the latest negotiating round... READ MORE
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirmed on Monday 30 November that it would be inviting China to join the other four currencies included in its Special Drawing Rights... READ MORE
Less than two weeks remain before trade ministers begin their biennial conference in Nairobi, Kenya, with WTO members still deeply divided on specific deliverables and how to address the organisati... READ MORE
The WTO's revised General Procurement Agreement (GPA) covers government purchasing of goods, services, and construction work valued at US$1.7 trillion annually. The most serious threat to the a... READ MORE
The establishment of the WTO Agreement on TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) and the proliferation of plurilateral, bilateral and regional agreements have significantly c... READ MORE
Afghanistan has now cleared one of the final hurdles for WTO membership, with officials confirming last week that negotiations in the Working Party tasked with that process are now completed. The e... READ MORE
The Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA), bringing together member and partner states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the... READ MORE
Participants of the plurilateral talks on liberalising services trade continue to make good progress, officials involved in the process confirmed yesterday, just a year after formal negotiations ki... READ MORE