SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China, South Korea and Japan will hold their third round of trilateral talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) next week, Seoul's Trade Ministry said Wednesday.

(Reuters) - The World Trade Organization may agree its first worldwide trade reform package before the end of the weekend, its director-general, Roberto Azevedo, said on Friday. Asked if a deal could be reached by Sunday night, Azevedo told Reuters: "I hope so." He spoke as he was entering what could turn out to be one of the last negotiating sessions in the global trade body's 12 year pursuit of a trade deal, capping 10 weeks of round the clock talks that Azevedo has overseen since he took the helm of the WTO on September 1.

Africa's political leaders have taken bold steps to strengthen and promote production and competitiveness that would normally accelerate the momentum for regional integration. But this has not been the case, according to the new edition of "Assessing Regional Integration in Africa" jointly published by the African Development Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union.

On the first stage of his visits to South Korea, Japan and China to promote the finalization of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with those countries, Australia's Trade Minister Andrew Robb appears to have made progress in talks with South Korean Trade Minister Yoon Sang-jick.

(Reuters) - Japan still has work to do in tearing down non-tariff barriers faced by European Union companies ahead of a decisive review of EU-Japan trade talks next April, the EU trade chief said on Tuesday. Japan and the EU launched talks on one of the world's most ambitious trade deals last April despite opposition from European carmakers fearing it would boost competition in their backyard without improving their access to the Japanese market.

The European Union imposed five-year tariffs on biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, expanding renewable-energy trade barriers after similar EU import levies against the U.S.

BANGKOK, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Asia-Pacific region needs to make its trade and investment activities more inclusive so as to generate common growth and shared prosperity, a United Nations report has said. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), one of the UN's regional development arms, officially launched the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2013 in its headquarters in Bangkok on Monday.

There was a sharp division of opinions over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) at the first hearing, organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and held at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul on November 15. With the government seeking to participate in the TPP, academic circles are split over the impact on Korea’s economy.

KEI Comments on the August 30, 2013 version of the TPP IP Chapter For more information, contact James Love, mailto:james.love@keionline.org, mobile +1.202.361.3040.

All other countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations except the United States are urging Japan to abolish tariffs on all products, including rice, sources said Friday. Although Tokyo has rejected eliminating tariffs on the key farm products of rice, wheat, beef, pork, dairy products and sugar to keep its highly protected agricultural sector safe from an influx of cheap imports, it may be forced to make a concession in the face of such strong pressure.