TRADE: North American Deal Dismal After a Decade

After 10 years a deal that all sides say transformed trade and investment rules in North America has still produced far fewer positive results than originally promised, according to its critics.

ECONOMY: Santa Has No New Year Gifts Either

Meetings held December failed to start the stalled WTO negotiations and there are few signs of movement in the New Year either, activists say.

TRADE: World Bank Lauds North American Deal’s Impact on Mexico

Contradicting a number of recent studies and findings by independent think tanks and activists, the World Bank says the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has spurred economic development in Mexico.

TRADE: Europe, U.S. Keep the Faith in Farm Subsidies

In the fourth century before the Christian era, when the Western powers that dominate today were just beginning to form in Rome, the British monarchy dictated the "Molmutine" laws, which declared sacred the churches, the stone-paved roads - and the peasant farmers' ploughs.

/CORRECTED REPEAT/ CANADA: Police “Excessive” at 2001 Quebec FTAA Protest – Report

A civilian watchdog appointed by the federal government to probe complaints against the national police force has denounced the way police handled security at the 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.

TRADE: WTO Talks Stop, Start, Stop.

The World Trade Organisation must revise its rules on trade liberalisation if the Doha Development Round is to succeed, leading non-governmental organisations say.

TRADE: Brazil Calls for Free Trade Within G20

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed Friday that the members of the Group of 20 developing countries that are allied in World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations should implement free trade amongst themselves.

TRADE: Bush Bows to Pressure on Steel Tariffs

U.S. President George W. Bush said Thursday he is lifting controversial tariffs imposed on steel imports well before schedule because of international pressure.

TRADE: In Search of the Lost Cancun Accord

The revival of the WTO negotiations will depend on the attitude taken in the consultations this week with the world's trade powers, which have so far maintained a telling silence, say diplomatic sources.

AMERICAS: FTAA Yet to Win the Hearts of Civil Society

While tough negotiations on tariffs, farm subsidies and intellectual property rights are taking place inside the Intercontinental Hotel here, the battle to win support from civil society, perhaps a requisite for building hemisphere-wide consensus, is just getting started.

POLITICS: Gaps Surface over the Atlantic

Attempts to bridge transatlantic rifts between the European Union and the United States have failed so far this week in spite of efforts by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

TRADE: Alternative Text Short on Specifics, but Sheds Light on FTAA

A document proposing an alternative to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), produced by a broad coalition of civil society organisations, lacks specifics on mechanisms, institutions and timeframes for its implementation, say critics.

TRADE: After Two Years in WTO, China in Minefield of Tough Issues

Two years after its entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), China is picking its way through a minefield of explosive trade issues, drawing criticism for dragging its feet on market-opening reforms, for its aggressive export strategy and for a politically sensitive trade row with the United States.

TRADE: NGOs, Business Decry ‘Flexible’ FTAA

Civil society opponents and corporate boosters of a proposed Americas free trade deal found themselves on the same side Monday - against a U.S.-Brazil proposal to compartmentalise the agreement.

AMERICAS: Ministers Meet for Another Trade Test

A high-profile meeting to discuss a pan-American trade zone opened here Monday amidst tight security and doubts about the fate of the embattled plan.

TRADE: U.S. Moves to Squeeze FTAA Opponents

The United States might be trying to re-write its strategy towards a threatened trade deal in the Americas by adding more pressure tactics to its old technique of doling out economic benefits to Latin American countries.

ECONOMY: Commonwealth to Play a Role in Trade Talks

The Commonwealth can play an important role in advancing the stalled Doha Development Round when World Trade Organisation officials meet in Geneva next month, says Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon.

VIETNAM: Unquiet Economics Shapes Search for U.S. Market

Vietnamese Minister of Defence Pham Van Tra says his just-finished trip to the United States ''will pave the way for further visits by military delegations of the two countries'', but far beyond that it is the latest sign of warmth in ties between the former enemies.

LABOUR: Thai Gov’t Asked to Ensure Rights

A leading trade union network here is calling on the Thai government to halt violation of labour rights.

TRADE-LATIN AMERICA: China a Headache for Some, Remedy for Others

China's thriving trade in Latin America is causing headaches in countries like Mexico, but is proving to be a powerful tonic for the economies of Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

TRADE: Friends of the Fish Try to Sink Subsidies

An informal group of nations calling themselves the "Friends of the Fish" are attempting to sink fishing industry subsidies, charging that they distort the international market - as do farm subsidies - and contribute to the degradation of the world's marine resources.