A detailed and critical examination of recent Free Trade Agreements between developing and developed countries, particularly U.S.-developing country FTAs. Includes treatment of,  issues market access in trade in goods; services; investment liberalisation and protection of investor rights; intellectual property; government procurement; competition policy; labour and environment standards.

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Far from being unanimously supported, the proposed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement has been strongly criticized by human and labor rights organizations in Canada and Colombia..

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There are several reasons to question the widsom of rushing to conclude an FTA with Canada at this time.

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Caricom-Canada FTA: A Premature Trade Decision Anthony Gomes

Third World Network submission to the United Nations Commission of Experts on the Global Financial,  Crisis,  

North-South free trade agreements (FTAs), bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments often contain a number of provisions that can increase the likelihood of a financial crisis and make it more difficult to take the necessary measures to deal with one once it occurs.,   This note briefly highlights the main provisions in these agreements that can hamper the effective implementation of recommendations to deal with the current crisis….

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The way EPA has been conceived is likely to bring more losses than gains for Africa…

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“Free Trade” Agreements Contibute to Financial and Other Crises, SOMO Network

While the financial crisis and its consequences spreads around the world and even the most erstwhile ‘free market’ governments discuss how to re-regulate the financial sector, ‘free trade’ agreements continue the extreme deregulation of the financial industry. Terms of these agreements prohibit countries from reforming their financial sector so as to remedy the financial, economic, environmental, food and social crises now growing, and to ensure finance is directed to the transformation into sustainable societies…

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Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA), Washington D.C.

Two years have passed since some Central American countries implemented DR-CAFTA’s mandates, and governments, farmers, and workers across the region are beginning to suffer the consequences of an unfair deal. ..

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GRAIN 21/08/08

The European Union (EU) is negotiating a veritable epidemic of ” Association Agreements” or ” Cooperation Agreements” throughout the world. The changes will amount to constitutional reforms be decided at ministerial level, far from the eyes of Parliaments and public opinion…

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