Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

[renewable]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...mXg&refer=asia

Southeast Asian nations signed a free trade pact with Australia and New Zealand, boosting the regional bloc’s efforts to increase commerce amid the global economic recession.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the three non-member nations will eliminate or lower tariffs on products such as coffee, dairy, minerals, cars and vegetables in the next 12 years. The pact, estimated to boost trade by $12 billion, was signed in Cha-am, Thailand today.

Asean includes Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It was formed in 1967.

[GRG55]

Re: Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...mXg&refer=asia

It'll be interesting to see how ANZ get along with Myanmar...

[Louie.G]

Re: Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

Be interesting to see what ANZ has "off Balance sheet" too, but I digress.

This free trade deal will compliment the free trade deal NZ did with China last year. I saw on TV here in NZ this morning, that Asian farmers are worried because a lot of their produce is being exported and locals may go hungry.

Might be time for me to sell my US business and move back to NZ full time lol. Especially with NZD down about 32% since July 08.

A couple of interesting comments re ANZ
A global banking tumour
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Removing-the-global-banking-cancer-$pd20090226-PMB3D

“I don’t feel very confident that the US and UK banks are coming to terms with the situation. The feeling is that the problem is not finalised”, he said.
Smith says that the only way to achieve a solution is to "nationalise all bank equity" in the problem banks, making them completely government-controlled

and The Party is Over
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/ANZ-$pd20090226-PLTJD?OpenDocument&src=kgb

"ANZ chief executive Mike Smith was the first Australian banker to ring the warning bell that Australia was facing very hard times. Now the ANZ becomes the first bank to face up to the fact that Australian bank dividends have been too high for too long"

Sorry can't seem to get the links to work but they do when I copy and paste

[rabot10]

Re: Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

It'll be interesting to see how ANZ get along with Myanmar...

New Zealand has some of the best trout fishing in the world, good eating also, how does that fit in?

[GRG55]

Re: Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

New Zealand has some of the best trout fishing in the world, good eating also, how does that fit in?

I'm sure that'll be of significant interest to these folks...:rolleyes:
[in Myanmar]

[metalman]

Re: Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

dude. that is very gruesome. what's the deal? take it you had a bad experience in myanmar!!!???

[GRG55]

Re: Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal

dude. that is very gruesome. what's the deal? take it you had a bad experience in myanmar!!!???

What happened in Myanmar was gruesome. Darfur too. And China's behaviour, in particular, unconscionable. Imagine a world without the USA. That's what it looks like.

That Australia and NZ, allegedly allies of the USA [and Canada], intend to open their markets to this regime is unbelievable. "Constructive engagement" with these generals will prove to be as effective as South Africa's protracted "dialogue" with Mugabe.