Progress Made In US-Malaysia FTA Talks

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

25 July 2006

According to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the United States and Malaysia made solid progress in the second round of FTA negotiations held last week at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

It announced that:

"The United States was encouraged by the results of this round and is optimistic that we will be able to conclude a strong agreement that achieves a balance of interests and benefits businesses, farmers, ranchers and workers in both the United States and Malaysia."

During the week, 22 negotiating groups met and discussed the full range of issues to be included in the FTA, including draft texts and approaches. These discussions enabled the two sides to get a clear and thorough understanding of each others’ priorities and sensitivities in each area. The two teams also identified areas of agreement as well as areas where further discussion will be needed.

To ensure that the momentum generated during this round continues to position the teams to conclude by the end of the year, the United States and Malaysia agreed to work actively between sessions to ensure they are prepared to make significant progress at the third round. The two sides will exchange texts, data and other information by the end of August.

They will meet again in Malaysia in September for another full round of negotiations.

Meanwhile, speaking last Thursday, Malaysia's Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz expressed hope that the government's commitment to intellectual property (IP) protection would help in the FTA negotiations.

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