Business / Economy Sep 1, 2018
RCEP negotiators agree on package of trade objectives to be reached by year-end
Meeting in Singapore, the 16 participants hammered out a road map of sorts for creating the world’s largest free trade area.
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Asia Pacific Aug 4, 2018
Asian envoys denounce 'real threat' of global trade war at ASEAN summit
Asian countries have voiced concern about the potentially devastating impact of a U.S.-China trade war, with ministers calling for the acceleration of talks for a gigantic Beijing-backed free trade deal that excludes the United States. Fear that the simmering trade tensions between the world's top ...
Business Jul 1, 2018
Japan pushes Asia economies to discuss trade pact amid rising protectionism
Ministers from 16 countries gathered in Tokyo to discuss the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, seen as a possible alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Business Mar 4, 2018
RCEP negotiators make progress in Singapore as Japan pushes for year-end deal on trade pact
Ministers from 16 East Asian countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership made progress at a meeting in Singapore Saturday but many gaps remain. "There is still a lot to do but it's possible to finish by this year," said a high-ranking official from the ...
Business Nov 14, 2017
Agreeing on RCEP — China's favorite trade deal — set to drag into 2018
by Rosalind Mathieson
After talks aimed at wrapping up the Trans-Pacific Partnership almost collapsed in acrimony in Vietnam last week, ministers are now warning that a rival Asian pact should also focus on quality over speed. That doesn't mean the 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership won't get done. ...
Business Nov 10, 2017
In the world of trade diplomacy, the acronym is king. As world leaders descend on the Vietnamese city of Danang for this weekend's APEC summit, the nomenclature of free trade — TPP, RCEP and OBOR to name but a few — will be in full ...
Business Sep 10, 2017
Asia-Pacific economic ministers admit there will be no RCEP agreement by year-end
Economic ministers from 16 Asia-Pacific countries negotiating an alternative trade pact to the floundering Trans-Pacific Partnership acknowledged Sunday no agreement will be finalized by year-end. Instead, the economic ministers involved in negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement — covering more than 3.5 billion ...
Business Mar 23, 2017
Head of Asia trade talks warns against adding elements of Trump-derailed TPP into new pact
The chief negotiator of a 16-nation Asia trade pact expressed hope that talks can be concluded this year if member nations refrain from introducing elements of a separate deal derailed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Iman Pambagyo, trade negotiating committee chief for the Regional Comprehensive ...
Business Mar 3, 2017
RCEP envoys make progress on trade deal in Kobe but complexity threatens timeline
by Eric Johnston
Negotiators from 16 nations accounting for half the world's population inched closer to drafting a multilateral trade treaty after five days of negotiations that went late into Friday evening. But disagreements over issues ranging from how to handle intellectual property rights to tariff reductions continue ...
Business Feb 27, 2017
16-nation RCEP talks resume in wake of TPP's demise
by Eric Johnston
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership begins five days of negotiations on hammering out a 16-nation trade pact to fill the shoes of the aborted TPP.
National / Politics Feb 24, 2017
With the TPP dead, Asia-Pacific eyes turn to Kobe meet for regional trade framework
by Eric Johnston
With the demise of the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, attention in the Asia-Pacific region has turned to Kobe, where representatives from 16 countries gather Monday for the next round of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The five-day Kobe meeting marks the first ...
Business Jan 25, 2017
Japan eyes merging trade negotiation units in wake of TPP flop
The government plans to form a new cross-ministry unit to handle all free trade negotiations following the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a source said Wednesday. The new entity would handle continued dialogue over the now 11-nation TPP as well as an economic partnership ...