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Apec hails progress in setting up region's trade zone

The hope is to eventually create a Free-Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, which could be the world's largest free-trade pact; the initial report on its viability is due out in January

Lee U-Wen

Published Tue, Nov 17, 2015 · 09:50 PM

Apec

Manila

THE proliferation of bilateral and regional free-trade agreements (FTAs), including the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact led by the United States, are all "building blocks" that are essential for global trade to flourish, the Philippine secretary for Trade and Industry has said.

Gregory Domingo said these individual deals could lead to much larger free-trade blocs and even to a breakthrough in the long-stalled Doha round of global trade talks.

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