Factbox - China and ASEAN to launch world's 3rd biggest trade zone

Subject: txt trade china -
JAKARTA - China and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are poised to launch a free trade agreement on Friday, forming an economic bloc of 1.9 billion people with trade worth around $200 billion. China sees the agreement as a way of securing supplies of raw materials...

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[Meanwhile, in our Congress...

The Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (also known as KORUS FTA) was announced on February 2, 2006 and was concluded on April 1, 2007. The successful completion of the agreement was announced on April 2, 2007 and the treaty was signed on June 30, 2007[1], just before the deadline for President George Bush to use his fast-track authority on trade before it expires mid-year [which still requires Congressional approval but with a 'straight' up or down vote vs. pork-barrel ear-marking].

The agreement followed ten months of hard bargaining, and will immediately lift some 85% of each nation's tariffs on industrial goods.

As of October 2009, it has not been approved by the US Congress

I.e., the unions don't want the competition, so screw everyone else.]

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