WINDHOEK, Sep 1 (IPS) - It is not certain that an African free trade area will further regional integration or deepen the existing inequality between countries. For the past year and a half the African tripartite free trade area (FTA) has dominated the economic agenda in South and East Africa.

(Reuters) - Fifty economists have written to ask U.S. President Barack Obama to "step up to the plate" on World Trade and champion a last gasp deal on the moribund Doha round of world trade talks. The letter was drafted by Jagdish Bhagwati, a professor at Columbia University, and signed by economists based in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Singapore and Japan, as well as three former trade ministers and a former president of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo.

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korean lawmakers agreed Thursday to begin the process of endorsing the bilateral trade agreement with the United States in tandem with the U.S. Congress, media reports said. The ruling Grand National Party was expected to push the ratification bill through the parliamentary trade committee Thursday, but the last-minute agreement with the main opposition Democratic Party prevented a physical clash many foresaw.

According to an anonymous source in Washington Thursdaythe US House of Representatives has tentatively agreed to vote on the country’s three pending trade deals with Korea, Colombia and Panama in mid October. But observers say the belated move on Korea-US FTA could lead to more delays in the latter half of this year. The protracted battle over the US debt limit as well as other major national events such as the ten year anniversary of the September 11th attacks this month have held up plans to ratify the deals.

VNEconomyNews.com - European Union’s countries of Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia are small but potential markets for Vietnam’s exports in the future besides current big markets like Germany and the UK, a trade official said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday held an online dialogue at www.ttnn.com.vn, a foreign market online gateway, helping domestic firms have more information about these new markets.

NEW DELHI: After shunning Latin America two years ago, the government is now seeking closer economic ties with the region as part of its initiative to diversify markets for Indian merchandise. Commerce secretary Rahul Khullar will be visiting Latin America this week to explore avenues of improving economic cooperation with the countries of the region. Khullar, who will be leading a high-level business delegation, will also look into the possibility of signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with Panama and Colombia, which could serve as a gateway to Latin America.

(Reuters) - China has appealed a World Trade Organization ruling against its export policies on raw materials, the Ministry of Commerce said, in a move which could have implications for its rare earth exports. The decision, posted to the ministry's website (www.mofcom.gov.cn) late on Wednesday, made good on its promise to appeal the case before the trade body's Sept. 2 deadline.

Aug 30 (Reuters) - China is currently waging war on its unruly rare earths sector, with state inspection teams in the middle of a four-month campaign to crack down on illegal producers, processors and traders.China produces more than 95 percent of global rare earth metals and its efforts to bring the sector under greater control have alarmed its overseas customers as supplies dwindle and prices surge.

SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel, topped South Korea's exports in July, driven mainly by rising demand from Europe, the government said Tuesday.According to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, South Korea shipped 5.18 billion U.S. dollars worth of petroleum products last month, up 95.7 percent from the same month a year before.With the sharp growth in exports, petroleum products became South Korea's largest export item last month, outpacing ships and automobiles, the ministry said.

HA NOI — Viet Nam shipped 15,000 tonnes of pepper abroad in August, earning a turnover of US$91 million and boosting the total volume of exports to 98,000 tonnes in the first eight months of the year, announced the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.The first eight months of exports marked a modest increase of 6.5 per cent in volume but a significant growth of 78.7 per cent in value, reaching $545 million, due to surging prices in the world market. Pepper export prices rose by 71 per cent year-on-year during that time, hitting an average of $5,599 per tonne.