10 questions about the China-Australia free trade agreement

1.What is a free trade agreement? A free trade agreement (FTA) is an international treaty that removes barriers to trade between two or more countries. They allow stronger trade and commercial ties to develop between countries, contributing to increased economic...

China says FTA with South Korea may be effective in 2015

(Reuters) – A free trade agreement between China and South Korea should be effective in the second-half of next year if all goes well, a top commerce ministry official said on Monday, ending negotiations that started in 2012. The Chinese and South Korean...

Two-thirds of firms plan to hire next year – survey

Two-thirds of Irish firms plan to hire staff next year as a survey of chief financial officers showed increasing optimism about the outlook for Irish business. The RSM Farrell Grant Sparks survey found that 91 per cent of “traditionally cautious” chief...

Australia, China deepen ties with landmark free trade deal

Written by Matt Siegel (Reuters) – China and Australia on Monday sealed a landmark free trade agreement more than a decade in the making, significantly expanding ties between the world’s second largest economy and one of Washington’s closest allies...

KBC warns economy still challenging for SMEs

The chief executive of KBC Ireland, Wim Verbraeken, told the Irish Independent that he agreed with a warning from the Central Bank’s Sharon Donnery against so called “write backs”. Economically, things are improving on the ground here, but trends...