Berita Arkib

23/01/2008 (The Telegraph), New Delhi - India today expressed confidence that a free trade agreement (FTA) with the 10-member Asean would become operational by January 2009.

22/01/2008 (The Economic Times), New Delhi - After a series of compromises made by India to remove the hitches blocking the India-Asean free trade agreement (FTA), Asean too seems to be doing its bit in the last leg of the negotiations. In its fresh proposals on duty cuts for the five crucial agricultural products holding up the agreement, it has gone down considerably from its earlier demands.

23/01/2008 (The Economic Times), New Delhi - A free trade agreement between India and 10-nation ASEAN is likely to be operationalised by January 2009, with negotiations expected to conclude by March this year, Commerce Secretary Gopal Pillai said on Wednesday.

18/01/2008 (The Hindu), New Delhi - The government on Friday said it has not yet decided on reducing the customs duty on imported edible oils such as palm oil and soya oil.

18/01/2008 (Mongabay.com) - Global food and consumer goods giants are backing a plan to certify that palm oil is produced in a way that doesn't drive destruction of tropical rainforests, reports The Wall Street Journal. The move comes as the palm industry is facing increasing scrutiny -and consumer backlash - for its practices which scientists say are driving large-scale destruction of forests across Indonesia and Malaysia, resulting in massive greenhouse gas emissions.

20/01/2008 (Guardian Unlimited) - Controversial plans to make cars greener by using fuel made from crops and animal fat will be thrown into doubt this week when MPs are expected to question whether they will do more harm than good.

19/01/2008 (Xinhua), Rompin, Malaysia - A project, implemented by a Chinese-funded firm and uses biotech to turn waste water from palm oil refineries into electricity, has been put into operation successfully in Malaysia, a Chinese embassy official said here on Saturday.

20/01/2008 (Sacbee.com) - Every morning, the cage doors swing open and 34 orangutan orphans climb into the outstretched arms of their human mothers.

15/01/2008 (The Economic Times), New Delhi - The base prices of edible oils, which determine the customs duties on them, have been kept unchanged by the government as the domestic prices remain high.

16/01/2008 (The Bangkok Post) - The mandatory introduction of biodiesel next month has had little impact on crude palm oil supplies, insists Chaiwat Churit, a senior executive vice-president of PTT Plc. The Energy Ministry plans to make B2 biodiesel, a blend of 2% biofuel and diesel, the universal standard starting from Feb 2.

15/01/2008 (Mongabay.com) - The E.U. may ban imports of certain biofuel feedstocks that damage the environment, reports The New York Times. While Europe aims to supply 10 percent of all vehicle fuel from biofuels by 2020, environmentalists say some biofuels like palm oil are driving the destruction of biologically-rich rainforests and may produce more emissions than conventional fossil fuels.

15/01/2008 (Reuters), Kuala Lumpur - The European Union's talk of toughening environment criteria for biofuels, including a clampdown on palm biodiesel, is another blow for Southeast Asia's struggling biodiesel business.