More Trade News in Brief – Week 20 (14 – 19 May 2013)

 

* US, UK, Australia – Tax Information

 

United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have developed a plan to share tax information.

 

Check here for more.

 

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* ASEAN–EU: A Strategic Partnership

 

EU and ASEAN signed their first inter-regional cooperation agreement four decades ago, now it is thinking that a Strategic Partnership should be implemented.

 

Read more about following the link.

 

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* EU – New Rules on Credit Rating Agencies

 

The Council of European Union adopted a directive and a regulation amending the EU’s rules on credit rating agencies (CRAs).

 

Check here the New rules on credit rating agencies.

 

Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA)

 

The 18 countries of Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) hope to unified their customs by 2015 in a full free trade agreement.

 

The Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) is a pan-Arab free trade area that came into existence in 1997. It was founded by 14 countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates). Four more countries joined the trade area later: Algeria, Jordan, Palestine and Yemen.

 

Please follow the link for more.

More Trade News in Brief – Week 19 (6 – 12 May 2013)

 

* WTO – New Trade Monitoring Database

 

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has launched new trade monitoring database provides detailed information on trade measures implemented by WTO members and observers.

 

Read more following the link.

 

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* UAE Rejoined WTO

 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rejoined the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) after 26 years of having left the entity

 

Check here.

 

More Trade News in Brief – Week 18 (29 April – 5 May 2013)

 

* SESAR – Single European Sky

 

European Commission adopted a regulation establishing governance and incentive mechanisms to facilitate the effective and timely deployment of SESAR.

 

SESAR is the EU’s project that aims at modernising the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.

 

Please read more here and here.

 

You can find more about SESAR here.

 

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* International Code of Direct Selling

 

ICC released the revised International Code of Direct Selling which was developed in close co-operation with the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA).

 

Follow the link for more.

 

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* WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)

 

Liechtenstein became the first WTO member to ratify the amended version of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA).

 

Read more here.

 

More Trade News in Brief – Week 17 (22 – 28 April 2013)

 

* EU & Morocco to Start DCFTA Talks

 

22 April 2013, Brussels

 

The EU and Morocco started the first round of negotiations for an EU-Morocco Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

 

Check here for more.

 

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* IOSCO – Report on Technological Challenges to Market Surveillance

 

 22 April 2013, Madrid (Spain)

 

 The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published today a final report on Technological Challenges to Effective Market Surveillance: Issues and Regulatory Tools.

 

Read the report here.

 

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* ISO’s 2012 Annual Report

 

The ISO’s 2012 Annual Report examines the organization’s activities in the field of business and economy standards.

 

Discover ISO’s Annual Report 2012 here.

 

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* New ISO for Financial Services

 

ISO/ IEC published a new standard: ISO/IEC TR 27015:2012, Information technology – Security techniques – Information security management guidelines for financial services – guidance for organizations providing financial services.

 

Read more here.

 

News from European Union

 

* Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive

 

The European Union approves new rules to stabilise and strengthen the banking system, Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) and Directive (CRD).

 

Check the next links for more details:

 

- EU Bank Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive

- Parliament Votes Reform Package

 

 

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* New Business Rules

 

The European Commission approves new transparency rules for the extractive industry and simplification of accounting requirements for companies.

 

Check here.

 

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* European Satellite Navigation Systems

 

The European Council and European Parliament reach agreement on financing and governance of the European satellite navigation Systems (EGNOS and Galileo).

 

Please follow the link.

 

 

News from ICC

 

* Uniform Rules for Bank Payment Obligation

 

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) launched the Uniform Rules for Bank Payment Obligation (URBPO), a standard in supply chain finance.

 

Please check here for more.

 

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* Global Risks – Trade Finance 2013

 

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) issued the Global Risks – Trade Finance 2013. The report provides reviews on the risks in trade finance from the global trade finance industry’s perspective.

 

Check the press release.

 

Download a copy of Global Risks – Trade Finance 2013.

 

More Trade News in Brief – Week 15 (8 – 14 April 2013)

 

* WB – Sector Results Profile

 

The World Bank published some examples of results of its programs in different sectors, please check bellow:

 

Environment: Sector Results Profile

 

Information and Communication Technologies: Results Profile

 

Oceans: Sector Results Profile

 

Climate Change: Sector Results Profile

 

Water Resources Management: Sector Results Profile

 

Water Supply and Sanitation: Sector Results Profile

 

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* BIS – Basel III Implementation

 

The Bank for International Settlements on progress in adoption of the Basel III regulatory reforms

 

Please check the press release and the report.

 

 

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* China and Iceland Sign Free Trade Agreement

 

China and Iceland signed a free trade agreement. Iceland is first in Europe to sign free trade pact with China.

 

For further information please check here and here.

 

News from European Union

* Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)

 

The Parliamentary Assembly – Union for the Mediterranean relaunched its cooperation objectives in the fields of infrastructure, education and training.

 

Read more here.

 

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* Trade Defense Instruments

 

The European Commission is studying to improve the trade defense operations through anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties and expect that its proposals to become law next year.

 

Cheek here for more.

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* EU – Multinational Tax Info Exchange

 

The EU’s six biggest members, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland have agreed to develop and pilot a major new multilateral tax information exchange program.

 

Kindly follow the link.

 

More Trade News in Brief – Week 14 (1 – 7 April 2013)

 

* USTR – Reports on Barriers to Trade

 

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) publishes various Reports on Barriers to Trade:

 

Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Report)

 

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Barriers to Trade (SPS Report)

 

2013 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers

 

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* UN – Global Arms Trade Treaty Approved

 

The United Nations General Assembly has approved a global arms trade treaty to regulate the international trade in conventional arms.

 

Please find more about the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) following the link.

 

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* OECD – Global Economy Outlook

 

OECD published its latest Interim Economic Assessment.

 

Check here.

 

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* US – West African States to Start TIFA Negotiations

 

The United States is exploring a trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

 

The ECOWAS member states are Sierra Leone, Senegal and Cape Verde.

 

Read more about it here.