HANOI: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, of which Vietnam is a member, will come to a conclusion late this year has turned the Southeast Asian country into a so popular destination for investment for export. Many other countries outside of the TPP have already poured billions into the group to grasp the chances for exporting to the remaining eleven members, especially the U.S., which almost every country in the world wants to sell their goods to.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal has been cast as a showdown between Canada and the United States over this country’s protected dairy and poultry industries. But the real stakes are about Japan – the world’s third-largest market. And Canada risks losing a big chunk of that market if it’s not part of the deal.

Talks on the complex and controversial Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) are said to be nearing completion as top negotiators from 12 nations gathered Friday in Hawaii. Trade ministers will join the talks next Tuesday in an effort to resolve remaining issues. If completed, the TPP would cut tariffs and trade barriers among participants, something supporters say would boost economic growth.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have increased in recent years, posing numerous opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese enterprises since tariffs are no longer a barrier. However, the liberalisation of services and investment is much harder to achieve.

JAKARTA, July 24 (Xinhua) — Indonesia and the European Union ( EU) are set to negotiate over a plan to engage in free trade between the two sides, according to Indonesian officials Friday. "There is a plan of initial meeting between senior officials from industry ministry and trade ministry, and officials from the European Union in September," Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono, director general for security and international access development of the industry ministry said at his office.

The number of tariff lines South Korea will cut for Vietnamese imports under the Vietnam-Korea FTA (VKFTA) is 95.4 per cent of the total, 5 per cent higher than other countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The question, however, is whether Vietnam can take advantage of the opportunities, which was asked at the conference “Vietnam-Korea FTA: Opportunity to Boost Exports”, held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on July 14. Tax reductions

Geneva (AFP) - The World Trade Organization on Monday formally accepted Kazakhstan's bid to join the body, ending nearly two decades of negotiations that the WTO has called among the most difficult in its history. Meeting at its headquarters in Geneva, the WTO General Council approved the membership terms finalised last month. After the formal approval, WTO Director General Robert Azevedo described the protracted accession process as "very challenging".

HA NOI (VNS) — Viet Nam's garment and textile export turnover to countries taking part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations increased by 69.66 per cent in the first five months compared with the same period last year, according to the latest report from the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas). Exports to this market also accounted for 66.8 per cent of the sector's total export turnover. Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US and Viet Nam are members of the TPP.

The Canadian government says it will not be bullied as the United States ratchets up pressure on Canada’s heavily protected dairy sector ahead of what could be the final round of talks for a Pacific Rim trade deal spanning 12 countries.

STRUCTURAL REFORM: The TPP is unusual among trade agreements, as it requires legal reforms on a national level, and not just lifting tariffs, activists saidMembers of Green Party Taiwan (GPT) and the Economic Democracy Union yesterday rallied in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs building in Taipei to protest what they said was the government’s “black box” approach toward its logistics planning for negotiations in its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).