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Across the world negotiations on the creation of an international network of bilateral trade accords are taking place. Since the collapse of the latest round of WTO negotiations in 2006, admits major grassroots opposition internationally and intense internal tensions between governments, Canada, the U.S. and the E.U. have shifted attention toward securing bilateral or regional trade accords.

Across the global south, from Costa Rica, to Korea, to Colombia, social movements are voicing alarm concerning the contemporary push towards bilateral accords. Major demonstrations against bilateral accords have taken place in Seoul, Korea, where labour movements have staged massive protests in opposition to the proposed Canada-Korea and the signed U.S.-Korea bilateral trade accords. In Costa Rica social mobilization forced a national referendum on the signing of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) last year. Currently Canada is pursuing bilateral accords across the planet, from Korea, to Colombia, to Jordan. It's a policy trend that has faced little public scrutiny.

This interview with Aziz Choudry, researcher and academic with bilaterals.org, offers a striking international picture on the state of bilateral trade accords, while offering insights into the social mobilizations across the globe taking place in opposition to bilateral trade accords.

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