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Economist""s Challenge Puzzles Free-Trade Believers

The Washington Post | By Paul Blustein | February 26, 2004 If economists could condemn members of their profession for heresy, Paul Craig Roberts would probably be a candidate for excommunication.

Thailand Expects to Sign FTA with Australia in May

Dow Jones | Feb. 25, 2004 BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- Thailand expects to sign its comprehensive free trade agreement with Australia in May, as many key issues have been settled, the commerce ministry's Permanent Secretary, Karun Kittisataporn, said Wednesday. "Negotiations on many trade issues have been concluded. Now we just have a few things to sort out," Karun told reporters.

Ex-Minister Says British Spies Bugged Kofi Annan""s Office

New York Times | By TERENCE NEILAN | February 26, 2004 British spies have regularly bugged the office of Secretary General Kofi Annan of the United Nations, including during the period leading to the invasion of Iraq, a former British government minister said today.

All Farm Export Subsidies on Table: EU

Reuters | Feb. 26, 2004 The EU's refusal to embrace the goal of getting rid of all farm export subsidies by a certain date has been a major obstacle to progress in world trade talks.

EU to Impose Sanctions on U.S. on Monday

Reuters | By Doug Palmer | Feb. 26, 2004 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said on Thursday the EU would slap a 5 percent duty on more than $4 billion worth of U.S. exports beginning on Monday because of Congress' failure to repeal tax breaks declared illegal by the World Trade Organization.

Are Multinationals All That Powerful?

BusinessWorld | By Benjamin G. Defensor | February 23, 2004 One of the favorite lines of the anti-globalization sector is that multinationals have become so big and powerful that a) they are even bigger than some states and b) they have amassed enough political power to dictate policy to some small nations.

It""s Back To The Dark Ages On Trade

Chicago Tribune | By Amity Shlaes | February 24, 2004 It is Feb. 24 2005, and President John Kerry and his economic team--Roger Altman and Alan Blinder from the U.S. Treasury and U.S. trade representative Clyde Prestowitz--are busy converting the U.S. into a protectionist fortress. - The North American Free Trade Agreement? Rewrite it to force Mexican wages upward.

India Resists Trade Arm-Twisting

The Australian | February 24, 2004 INDIAN IT leaders say they are not concerned by what they see as Western "arm-twisting" for the country to open its markets to offset jobs that rich nations have lost to offshore outsourcing.

World Commission Demand For Fairer Globalisation Gets Full Support Of The ICFTU

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) | February 24, 2004

WTO To Overcome Deadlock In Doha Round Soon: Supachai

XINHUA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE | February 24, 2004HEADLINE: SAN JOSE, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) --Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Supachai Paniitchpakdi expressed his confidence that the deadlock hindering the Doha negotiations would soon be overcome.