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Articles on Free trade

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These Vietnamese tea farmers are set to benefit from the deal. Others might not be so lucky. Nguyen Huy Kham/Reuters

The Trans-Pacific Partnership poses a grave threat to sustainable development

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been described by its backers as a boon for development. But with no concrete commitments, nor any mention of climate, it is really at odds with the UN development agenda.
Whatever the terms agreed by the 12 trade ministers who signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the text is unlikely to include the word ‘democracy’. Reuters/USTR Office

Why democracy is the unspoken issue in America’s TPP agenda

Why has the United States, the great engine of democratisation, advanced a pact that is silent on a defining theme of its foreign policy?
Unions have campaigned hard against temporary labour provisions in the China Australia free trade agreement. AAP/NewZulu/Alex Bainbridge

Patching the flaws around ChAFTA’s labour provisions

The Australian government has powers it could use to patch the problems around temporary labour provisions in the China-Australia trade agreement.
About 98% of US exporters are small businesses. Cargo ship via www.shutterstock.com

We may have cinched TPP, but is US trade a lost cause?

The signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership belies the fact that the US’s share of trade in the region has been declining for some time.
The exclusion of China from the TPP comes from the dominance of protectionist interests, such as the US agricultural sector. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Oh no, we forgot about China - the flaw at the centre of the TPP

If the Trans-Pacific Partnership was really about economic growth, it would include China, rather than deliberately locking it out.
Australia needs agreements like the TPP to counter protectionism. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

Ratifying the TPP may be tough, but Australia needs it

The Trans-Pacific Partnership may not be a done deal, but Australia cannot avoid the realities of the cut-throat business of international capital, trade and investment.
Representatives of the 12 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) member countries at a press conference in Atlanta, after a deal was reached. EPA/Erik S. Lesser

Why biologics were such a big deal in the Trans Pacific Partnership

Before the last round of negotiations, only a handful of issues remained in the way of concluding the TPP. A potential deal-breaker for Australia was intellectual property protections for biologics.
South African exports to the rest of the continent have more than doubled over the past 20 years. This has been driven by agricultural products, including maize. Shutterstock

Why Africa offers growing opportunities for agricultural products

The demand for agricultural products in Africa is expected to rise over the next 35 years due to factors such as population growth, urbanisation, economic growth and changing diets.

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