Category: International Trade

There is Still Great Trade Potential between India and Pakistan

Is the time ripe for a new push for normalised trade between India and Pakistan? The foreign secretaries of both nations recently met in Islamabad. The two countries can expect formal talks to resume after a hiatus of six months. This came soon after the announcement by Khurram Dastgir, Pakistan’s Commerce Minister, that Pakistan may grant ‘non-discriminatory market access’ or Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, a move that will get the two countries closer to striking a deal to fully liberalise trade between them.

The Importance of ‘Fast-Track’ Authority to the TPP and TTIP

The Senate Finance Committee is currently considering a trade bill that would extend “fast-track” negotiating authority to the president while also demanding a larger role for Congress than it has taken in the past.

Keeping Macroeconomic Issues out of Trade Agreement Negotiations

It is impossible to deny that trade and exchange rates are closely linked. But does that mean that international trade agreements should include provisions governing national policies that affect currency values?

What is Going on with the TPP?

The bill that would grant President Obama trade promotion authority (fast track) is in for markup today.  That refers to the process where the initial bill is modified, re-written and amended before it comes up for a vote.  Although the bipartisan sponsorship is encouraging, passage is still an uphill fight.

The Implications of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement in the TPP and TTIP

Sometimes in politics, it is not the text that counts, but rather the context. Policies that are benign or even ignored by the electorate in one political constellation can suddenly fuel intense debate when there is a shift in the alignment of external forces. Think of Chancellor Merkel’s sudden decision to abandon nuclear power in Germany after the Fukushima reactor meltdown caused by the March 2011 earthquake in Japan. Nothing had changed about the safety of the German reactors themselves, but everything had changed about the broader context.

The Extraordinary Economic Potential of Asia’s Sub-Regions

South Asian and Southeast Asian economies have all embraced an outward-oriented development strategy, albeit to different degrees. The result has been an impressive increase in international trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, and significant productivity improvements, which in turn have contributed to important socio-economic gains. Indeed, some of these economies have delivered among the most striking economic performances in the world.

New Japanese Ag Minister Hayashi Brings New Life to the TPP Negotiations

Japan’s new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Yoshimasa Hayashi, who previously served in the position in 2012–14, was a logical choice to take over from his disgraced predecessor Koya Nishikawa. He arrived at the Prime Minister’s Office (Kantei) only five minutes after Nishikawa left, and was apparently selected because he was ‘the only one that could immediately do the job’.

Should the TTIP Hype Be Believed?

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is being vaunted as the world’s largest free trade agreement that promises to liberalise one-third of global trade.

But TTIP is not without its detractors; critics of many stripes have raised concerns about the erosion of democracy and regulatory sovereignty risked by the proposed deal.