The negotiations for the agreement, which is officially dubbed as Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), were launched by both the countries in November, 2010 to further boost bilateral trade and investment. The proposed free trade agreement between India and Canada, which aims to reduce or eliminate duties on a large number of products traded between the two nations, is likely to be concluded by March next year.

Recently, the US Congress approved the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which delegates to the US president complete power to negotiate trade agreements with other countries. Under the TPA, once a trade agreement has been negotiated by the president or his representative, it is brought to Congress for ratification through an up-or-down vote. At that stage, no discussion on possible amendments is allowed.

Ngo Duc Manh, Deputy Chairman of The National Assembly’s External Affairs Committee, shines a light on negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and Vietnam’s on-going preparations to optimise efficiency once the country joins this landmark partnership. Do you expect that the TPP will wrap up negotiations late this year?

U.S. politicians are pressuring the Obama administration to leave Canada out of a major and controversial trade deal, if Canada doesn't agree to deregulate its dairy and poultry industries and open them up to foreign competition. Reuters news service cites “two sources” close to the issue as saying the U.S. may go forward with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without Canada if the Harper government refuses to dismantle the supply management system that governs the country’s dairy.

HCM CITY (VNS)  — Viet Nam would gain substantially from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is still under negotiation, a workshop heard in HCM City yesterday. Pham Binh An, director of the HCM City WTO Affairs Consultation Centre, said that 10 ASEAN countries and six countries with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements (Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India and China) were negotiating the content of the RCEP, which may be finalised by the end of this year.

The United States, frustrated over the lack of progress with Canada over new rules for agriculture trade, is weighing "contingencies" that could include completing a Pacific Rim trade pact that excludes Canada, according to two sources familiar with the issue. One official familiar with the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiation said Canada is not coming forward with plans to lower its barriers to agricultural trade.

A July-end deadline for finalizing a detailed work programme for agreeing new rules for liberalization of global trade will now be missed, the chief of the World Trade Organization (WTO) told international diplomats, prompting India and other developing nations to blame unnamed industrialized nations.

India and Australia are moving towards concluding negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of this year, with both sides narrowing their differences on major issues. Australia is pushing for tariff reduction in dairy, fresh fruit, pharma, meats and wines. On the other hand, India wants zero duty on auto parts, textiles, and fresh fruits, including mangoes. "Differences are getting narrowed on these issues. Eight rounds have already been completed.

HCM CITY (VNS) — Viet Nam exported 2.71 million tonnes of rice in the first half at free on board (FOB) value of US$1.132 billion. The Viet Nam Food Association said this represented a year-on-year decrease of 9.6 per cent in volume and 12.71 per cent in value. Asian and African countries were the main buyers, with China remaining the largest importer. VFA chairman Huynh The Nang said the reasons for the fall in exports were not new: abundant supply, the appearance of new exporters, and intense competition.

OSAKA – Trade negotiators from the U.S. and Japan met Thursday in Tokyo to work out what they hope will be a final bilateral deal needed for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. The meeting took place as Kyodo News reported that the government was discussing a nontariff framework for certain imports in return for allowing Japan to maintain high tariffs on rice.