Australia
Australia has been actively engaged in bilateral FTA negotiations, while maintaining that its top priority is multilateral trade negotiations at the WTO. Bilateral trade and investment deals which Canberra has concluded are those with New Zealand (1983), Singapore (2003), Thailand (2004), the United States (2004) and Chile (2008).
Along with New Zealand and Pacific Island Nations, Australia belongs to PACER, the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations.
Currently, Canberra is negotiating major FTAs with China, the GCC, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and, together with New Zealand, ASEAN. There has also been mention of possible talks with Mexico.
In November 2008, Australia decided to negotiate entrance to the Pacific-4, or P4, free trade and investment agreement along with the US, Peru and possibly Vietnam. This agreement has now developed into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
last update: May 2012
Articles
-
15-Aug-2012 Australia upholds tobacco branding ban
Australia’s High Court has rejected a challenge by the world’s biggest tobacco companies which are seeking to overturn a law requiring cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging from the start of December. -
13-Aug-2012 Business demands sovereign risk protection in FTAs
The Gillard government’s refusal to reconsider its decision not to demand sovereign risk protection for Australian companies in free-trade agreements has been met with loud objections from leading business groups who say such provisions are vital to international trade, according to The Australian Financial Review. -
13-Aug-2012 Tax News Australian business leaders launch trade agreement campaign
Members of the Australian business community have launched a campaign for trade agreements to include provisions to allow private companies to sue foreign governments for breach of contract or property rights. -
22-May-2012 Free trade agreement with Malaysia opens up education, telco sectors
Malaysia and Australia signed a free trade agreement that will allow Malaysia to export all goods duty-free into Australia once the deal comes into force on January 1, 2013. -
21-May-2012 El Espectador Australia firmará TLC con Malasia y espera hacerlo con Colombia y México
Australia firmará esta semana un tratado de libre comercio con Malasia, que según indicó este lunes un ministro australiano facilitará la negociación de acuerdos similares con China, Corea del Sur y Japón, además de atraer a otros socios potenciales como Colombia o México. -
21-May-2012 In the dark on trade deal
At 11.30 this morning, Kuala Lumpur time, Trade Minister Craig Emerson and his Malaysian counterpart will sign a free trade agreement that promises "a new chapter" in the Australia-Malaysia relationship. -
20-May-2012 Trade win with Malaysia spurs regional talks
Labor hopes a breakthrough free trade agreement to be signed with Malaysia tomorrow - giving Australian companies unprecedented access to Asia’s eighth-biggest economy - will provide momentum to negotiations on other bilateral deals across the Pacific region. -
5-May-2012 3rd round of India-Australia FTA talk to be held this month
India and Australia will hold the third round of negotiations for the conclusion of a comprehensive free trade agreement in Sydney later this month. -
21-Mar-2012 Meat industry wants free trade deal with Korea
The Australian Meat Industry Council says Australian beef exporters need a free trade agreement with Korea. -
29-Feb-2012 Weekly Times Korean deal hits beef exporters
Australian beef exporters have been caught in the fallout from the US-Korea free trade agreement, which will start next month. The Korean Government has effectively put any discussions on an Australian agreement on hold because, industry sources indicate, the US agreement has created so much angst in Korea. -
23-Jan-2012 The Conversation Big Tobacco vs Australia: Philip Morris scores an own goal
It appears as though Philip Morris Asia only acquired its Australian companies in order to be able to launch a claim against the government under the Australia-Hong Kong BIT. -
17-Jan-2012 FTA deal with Korea reaches critical phase
Australian beef exports are in danger being put at long-term disadvantage against US competitors in the Korean market unless rapid progress can be made in Free Trade Agreement discussions in coming months. -
25-Nov-2011 Canberra Times Air of intrigue in move against plain packaging
Despite the compelling rationale that the public has a stake, Philip Morris’ claims will not be heard in an Australian court by respected judges, but by an ad-hoc tribunal that will meet in Singapore or another foreign country. -
1-Sep-2011 Crikey New trade agreement threatens Australia’s laws on medicines and tobacco
Australia leads the world in many areas of public health but the Federal Government could be negotiating our achievements away, according to Dr Patricia Ranald, Convenor, Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network -
18-Jul-2011 SMH Hitch in bid to curb phone roaming costs
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is investigating if the introduction of price caps on mobile roaming fees will have an impact on the free-trade agreement with the US and agreements with Pacific countries. -
9-Jan-2011 NZ Herald Oz rethinking value of bilateral deals
Thirty years after officials began seriously negotiating the ground-breaking transtasman closer relations agreement, Australia is having doubts about the value of bilateral trade deals. -
14-Dec-2010 ABC Bilateral deals don’t work: report
"Oversold" and failing to deliver any real benefits to business. That’s the Productivity Commission’s damning conclusion about Australia’s six bilateral and regional trade agreements. -
13-Dec-2010 Free trade benefits oversold: commission
The positives of free trade agreements have been oversold and the way the deals are done needs to be improved, the Productivity Commission has found. -
13-Dec-2010 Free trade is costing millions: report
A year-long investigation of Australia’s free trade agreements has found they are often nothing of the kind. -
13-Dec-2010 Productivity Commission urges caution on free trade agreements
The Productivity Commission has released a report backing Trade Minister Craig Emerson’s critique of many free trade agreements.
-
AID/WATCH
AID/WATCH is an independent membership-based watchdog on aid, trade and debt, working with communities in the Global south. -
Rethinking globalisation
New blog from Global Trade Watch - Australia
