Asian Free Trade Agreements Balk at WTO and US
Bernard K. Gordon, The Wall Street Journal | September 5, 2008
Meeting in Singapore, 10 southeast Asian nations along with India confirmed yet another FTA that clearly indicates the waning influence of the WTO and the US in the region. ++ Many such countries, especially India, prefer small-scale bilateral agreements and FTAs. ++ It was the Asian block that called on Europe and the US to change their farm subsidy policies at Doha, which contributed to stalling the round. ++ The US must beware that its agricultural policies and FTAs, particularly NAFTA, do not further exclude it from growing Asian trade.
