Full Coverage: Trade

06.10.2008 Concern is voiced at the appointment of former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson - who "jeopardised the livelihoods of millions of working people through his reckless pursuit of deregulation" -as Britain’s new business secretary.
+ Mandleson’s move ‘rings serious alarm bells’ for anti-poverty campaigners

03.10.2008 Emissions from China's export industry are everyone's responsibility — future trade and climate policy must be linked, says Glen Peters.

23.09.2008 Help end the £700 million worth of illegally-sourced timber that enters the UK each year - making Britain the third largest importer of illegal timber in the world.

03.05.2008 UNITED NATIONS, May 2 (OneWorld) - The global food crisis is likely to persist if speculative investment by the corporate world is not reined in soon, warned a top expert responsible for reporting to the United Nations on human rights violations.

28.04.2008 WASHINGTON, Apr 28 (OneWorld) - Far away and close to home the growing world food crisis is taking a toll. While Americans are increasingly shocked at their rising grocery bills, hunger threatens lives and stability in several developing countries.

23.04.2008 Whatever happens to the Chinese arms shipment destined for Zimbabwe, the case highlights the urgent need for the UN to work towards an Arms Trade Treaty at a meeting in New York later this month, says a leading development group.

19.04.2008 NEW YORK, Apr 19 (OneWorld) - The current food crisis causing hunger and starvation for millions of people across the world is not going to end as long as those who dominate the international grain markets remain unwilling to change their behavior, according to experts specializing in international trade and environmental economics.

14.04.2008 SAN FRANCISCO, Apr 14 (OneWorld) - Long-time critics of corporate-friendly free trade agreements are applauding House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for effectively putting the brakes on a deal with the South American nation of Colombia.

03.04.2008 Assuming normal weather conditions, the Food and Agriculture Organization predicts a 1.8 percent increase in world rice production, including India and Bangladesh, which may ease the current tight supply in key rice producing countries. On the other side, international rice trade is expected to fall due to restrictions in exports.

29.03.2008 Professor John Anthony Allan from King’s College, London has been awarded the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize for his pioneering concepts of measuring, understanding and communicating water issues. ‘Virtual water’ import via food has had major impacts on global trade policy and research, especially in water-scarce regions.

27.03.2008 NEW YORK, Mar 27 (OneWorld) - There will likely be fewer wildfires and more trees for future generations if loggers abide by a set of international rules on forest management, says a new study by independent environmentalists.

10.03.2008 WINDHOEK, Mar 10 (IPS) - The Namibian government plans to stay the course with an economic incentive program for corporations -- known as export processing zones (EPZ) -- despite one of the largest of the foreign investors deciding last week to close down its operations -- a move that will destroy 3,000 jobs.

23.02.2008 Tate & Lyle says it intends to move its entire retail cane sugars range to Fairtrade, marking the largest-ever switch to the ethical labelling scheme by any major UK food or drink brand.

20.02.2008 Developing countries last week hailed the WTO proposal to cut taxes on agricultural exports by a minimum of 54%, while voicing their reservations on the draft on industrial products. Launched in 2001, the Doha negotiations on multilateral trade aim at forging a North-South consensus on trade in farm and manufactured goods.

15.02.2008 An international seminar by UNCTAD will focus on gender concerns in trade in India and other developing countries from 25-27 February at New Delhi. The forum aims to sensitise trade experts, policy makers and stakeholders, and seek ways to integrate women into the international trade system.

14.02.2008 Pakistan is in a shambles on all fronts. The economy is in tatters with soaring inflation, a slowdown in growth, rising debt burden, trade imbalance and more. For the new government in Pakistan, it will be a colossal task to clean up the mess.

15.01.2008 NEW YORK, Jan 15 (OneWorld) - Rights activists in the West are urging buyers and sellers of precious gems to reject rubies and jades mined in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

15.01.2008 Human Rights advocates are urging consumers and merchants to shun Burmese gems at the military government's latest auction of precious stones. Human Rights Watch has attacked the gem trade for propping up the military dictatorship and it is felt that western boycotts could significantly hamper the juntaÂ’s profits.

03.01.2008 The artisans of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, known for their handicrafts of wood, terracotta, wrought-iron, etc., have remained unacknowledged due to lack of proper exposure and marketing. With the recent signing of MoUs between NGOs and local bodies, they will now get international recognition and a larger market to sell their products.

17.12.2007 A free trade agreement launched last week between Peru and the U.S. "fails to deliver on its development potential and could further deepen poverty for Peru's poorest," writes an international humanitarian group.