30 December 2011
Free trade agreements (FTAs) are generally made between two countries. Many governments, throughout the world have either signed FTA, or are negotiating or contemplating new bilateral free trade and investment agreements. The agreements are like stepping stones towards international integration into a global free market economy. There are another way to ensure that governments implement the liberalisation, privatization and deregulation measures of the corporate globalisation agenda.
FTAs severely constrain future governments in their policy options and help to lock in existing economic reforms which may have been imposed by the IMF, World Bank or Asean Development Bank, or pursued by national governments of their own volition. It work towards removing all restrictions on businesses as other free trade and investment agreements perform.