The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) announced that on 8 April 2014 in Seoul, the Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Robb and South Korean Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy Yoon Sang-jick, signed the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA). Negotiations had been concluded in early December 2013. The legally verified text of the agreement was initialled by Chief Negotiators on 10 February 2014 and released to the public on 17 February 2014.…
On March 11, 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada and the Republic of Korea have concluded negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement that will significantly boost trade and investment ties between the two countries, creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians in every region of the country. The Canadian Government issued a “backgrounder” on the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) from which the following are excerpts:The CKFTA will provide Canadian businesses and workers…
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has announced that the legally verified text of the Australia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) was initialled by Chief Negotiators on 10 February 2014 and released to the public on 17 February 2014. Signature is scheduled for the coming months. DFAT Minister Robb and his Korean counterpart, Trade Minister Yoon, concluded negotiations on the 23 chapter KAFTA in early December 2013.
CSMS #13-000615 dated December 18, 2013 announced that each Free Trade Agreement (FTA) page on CBp.gov has been updated and expanded to include the following documents: Implementation Instructions Attachment A (Certification of Origin) General Note Link (Always current) Regulation Link (Always current) Agreement Text USITC Report (Includes the General note, the goods that went free immediately and the phase-out schedule to determine future duty rates.) Summaries and Reports (USTR) Implementation Act (The public law.) Presidential…
On 5 December 2013, the Australian Government announced that Australia has concluded negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Korea, its third-largest goods export market and fourth-largest trading partner. The announcement stated: As a result of the Agreement, tariffs will be eliminated on Australia’s major exports to Korea and there will be significant new market openings in services and investment. The FTA translates to higher economic growth and more jobs for…
On November 29, 2013, the Office of the US Trade Representative announced that US Trade Representative Michael Froman issued a statement regarding the announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister Hyun Oh-seok of the Republic of Korea regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In the statement, the USTR said that the United States welcomed Korea’s expression of interest in joining TPP because it plays an important role in the regional economy, and its interest in the TPP…
On September 10, 2013, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced that the seventh round of South Korea and China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks was held in Shan Dong Province in September 3-5, 2013. Yu Jianhua, Deputy China International Trade Representative of MOFCOM, and Woo Tae-hee, South Korea’s Assistant Trade Minister co-chaired this round of negotiations. The two Parties reached agreements on coverage of the FTA agreement, which concluded the first stage FTA talks. The…
On August 9, 2013, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a general notice announcing that CBP is expanding eligibility for its Global Entry program to include citizens of the Republic of Korea who are participants in the Smart Entry System (SES), a trusted traveler program in the Republic of Korea (S. Korea); a limited number of citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany) who are participants in the Automated…