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TWN Info Service on Free Trade Agreements 01 July 2008
Among the issues that have bogged down the talks were US’ intention to include government procurement and competition policy and the linking of labour issues with environmental standards and dispute settlement. Other unresolved issues were the liberalization of the services sector including that of financial services. (Item 2) According to a Best wishes,
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Item 1 Malaysia-US trade talks resume
July 14 - official KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Financial) - Malaysia and the United States will begin their next round of talks on a free-trade deal on July 14, a minister said Tuesday. The talks come after 'The meeting is aimed at solving several issues that have yet to be resolved,' he said, according to state news agency Bernama. The negotiations, which began in March 2006, reached an impasse at the seventh round in January. Critics fear an agreement
would leave Malaysia's list of sensitive areas -- including environmental protection and the practice of giving Malay companies a leg-up in lucrative government contracts -- have bogged down the talks. Afp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 2 Liew: No details of FTA talks
yet (http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_bdefd807-cb73c03a-c8c7d600-281430f9) KUALA LUMPUR: The government cannot openly reveal the details of its free trade talks with the US as it can potentially undermine the position of Malaysia’s negotiators, said Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Liew Vun Keong. “Since the end of the 7th round of negotiations in January, the talks are still ongoing via video-conferencing between both sides. There are still several technical conditions under discussion and matters that require cabinet decisions,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Liew was responding to a
question on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between He also assured the Dewan Rakyat that MPs would be kept updated on the issues negotiated and the government’s stand. Liew explained that the unresolved issues in the talks were US’ intention to include government procurement and competition policy in the talks and the linking of labour issues with environmental standards and dispute settlement. Other unresolved issues were
the different approaches by both countries to liberalise the services
sector and the Meanwhile, Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib revealed that the government spent RM40 million for overseas promotion last year. From its promotional activities, the returns from tourist receipts increased by 27% to RM46.07 billion last year from RM36.27 billion previously, he said. “Overseas spending included the fee to participate in exhibitions, preparing for exhibition space or booth, delivery of promotion materials and sending dancers and chefs for cultural and food promotion,” Sulaiman said. Among the activities conducted overseas were sales mission, tourism seminar, food and cultural promotion, advertisement and joint promotion with tour agencies and tourism exhibition, he added. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 3 Change in US leadership 'will not affect FTA talks' By Rupa Damodaran, Business
Times, 30 June 2008 This year, Americans will pick a new president to succeed George W. Bush. Talks on a free trade agreement
(FTA) will enter its eighth round when they resume in The "The fact that The three-day talks will focus on a few important issues. Hernandez is accountable
to the He is in town to meet senior officials from the International Trade and Industry Ministry. "When this is concluded, it will be a great benefit because of the amount of investments that will come (on board) with the FTA, the diversity of exports and manufacturing that can come with it and the ability to deepen our economic relations as we move forward." However, negotiations have
taken a long time due to issues surrounding Hernandez said the FTA allows a huge growth opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). "It is important for people to understand that the biggest group that benefits the most from the FTA is the development and opportunity growth for SME companies." The Two-way trade is expected to more than double in five years with the FTA, which provides potential benefits across the spectrum - from manufacturing, agriculture, telecommunications to financial services.
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