Links of the day

U.S., South Korea reportedly reach free-trade pact..."A free-trade agreement reached on Monday between the U.S. and South Korea could reportedly bolster two-way trade between the two nations by 20% to 30% within three years. U.S. Trade Representative spokesman Steve Norton said additional details of the deal would be announced later Monday, according to a report by the Associated Press. The agreement will require legislative approval in both countries. Negotiations on the pact reportedly lasted almost 10 months"...I didn't know the US didn't have a free trade pact with South Korea...

Last Freightliner-brand truck rolls off Portland assembly line..."The last Freightliner-branded commercial truck rolled off the production line in Portland Thursday night, ending 750 jobs at a time when orders for big-ticket durable goods are slumping and manufacturing jobs are hard to come by. Freightliner says the layoffs in Portland are tied to a change in the trucking business rather than economic trends: New federal emissions requirements prompted trucking companies to buy large quantities last year, resulting in a slump this year. Freightliner and competitors have laid off hundreds"..."Freightliner is taking the opportunity to shift production of its signature-brand trucks from Portland to plants in North Carolina and Mexico"...