EU, Singapore ink free trade deal

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang, completed final negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and Singapore on the 16 December 2012.

The agreement was one of the most comprehensive the EU had ever negotiated and should create new opportunities for companies from Europe and Singapore to do business together. The growing Singaporean market offered export potential for EU, industrial, agricultural and services businesses.

An EU-Singapore FTA would be the EU's second ambitious agreement with a key Asian trading partner, after the EU-Korea FTA, which came into operation since July 2011.

• Primary Source

European Commission: RAPID: Press Release, IP/12/1380: EU and Singapore agree on landmark trade deal http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1380_en.pdf

European Commission: DG Trade: Bilateral relations: Countries and regions: Singapore http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/singapore/

BBC News, 17.12.12: EU in major free trade deal with Singapore http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20753811

Deutsche Welle, 16.12.12: Singapore and EU agree to free trade deal http://www.dw.de/singapore-and-eu-agree-to-free-trade-deal/a-16458261

European Commission: MEMO/12/993: Facts and figures: EU trade agreement with Singapore http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-993_en.htm

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