US and European Union trade negotiators said Friday they had begun to identify key areas of agreement and difference as they closed the first week of talks to create an ambitious transatlantic free-trade zone.
China and Switzerland signed a free trade agreement -- Beijing's first in continental Europe -- in a deal that comes against a backdrop of trade tensions between the Asian giant and the EU.
China and the European Union began ministerial-level talks Friday that are expected to try to resolve a dispute over solar panels and other products, as tensions between the two risk escalating into a trade war.
Leaders of the G8 nations meet in Northern Ireland next week determined to crack down on tax evasion and boost global trade, while seeking to push Russia to help find a political solution to the Syria conflict.
The United States eased restrictions on trade with Syria's opposition Wednesday, in a move aimed at helping supply the critical needs of Syrians in "liberated areas."
More than 60 countries on Monday signed a landmark conventional arms trade treaty, but the United States held back from joining the first wave of signatories.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in oil-rich Trinidad and Tobago late Friday for the first leg of a Latin America and Caribbean tour aiming to strengthen Beijing's trade ties in the region.
US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Trinidad and Tobago Monday where he was to meet with other regional leaders on his 20-hour visit to the island nation.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Sunday to take steps to avoid a brewing trade war between China and the EU during a first visit by China's new premier to Germany, with both leaders calling for dialogue.
Switzerland and China cleared the final hurdle Friday towards a landmark free-trade agreement, as Beijing seeks to underscore its growing global ties via deals with European partners.
Venezuela stepped up attacks on the United States Monday, threatening retaliatory measures affecting trade and energy if Washington resorts to sanctions in a row over the country's disputed presidential election.
The US International Trade Commission on Monday tossed out a Motorola Mobility patent claim that threatened to block the import of some Apple iPhone models into this country.
The UN General Assembly on Tuesday passed the first treaty regulating the conventional arms trade in an attempt to bring transparency and protection of human rights to the often murky industry.
The UN General Assembly is expected to adopt the first global treaty on the conventional arms trade Tuesday after the 193 member states failed to reach consensus on it last week.
