Australia
In the last two years the Australian Government has finalised bilateral trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan, which are now in force. The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement between 12 Pacific Rim countries has been agreed, but is being reviewed by a Parliamentary committees before Parliament votes on the implementing legislation. The TPP will not come into force until six of the 12 countries including the US and Japan pass the implementing legislation, which is expected to take two years.
The current conservative Coalition government has agreed to include Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in the Korea and China bilateral FTAs as well as the TPP. ISDS allows foreign companies to bypass national courts and sue governments for compensation if they can argue that a change in law or policy harms their investment. The previous Labor government had a policy against ISDS, and even a previous Coalition government did not include ISDS in the Australia-US free trade agreement in 2004.
There is widespread opposition in the Australian community to the inclusion of ISDS in the TPP. The TPP is also controversial because it extends monopoly rights on expensive life-saving biologic medicines, which will mean more years of very high prices before cheaper versions become available. There are also grave concerns about its impacts on food labelling standards and expanded access for temporary workers without additional protection of workers’ rights. A recent World Bank study found that Australia was only likely to gain almost no economic benefit from the deal.
Australia is currently involved in multilateral negotiations towards the PACER-plus agreement with New Zealand and 14 Pacific Island countries, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trade In Services Agreement (TISA). It is also negotiating bilateral trade agreements with India and Indonesia and will begin talks with Hong Kong and Taiwan later this year and the EU next year.
Contributed by AFTINET
last update: May 2016
Articles
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29-Nov-2012 Senate passes Malaysia free trade deal
Senators on Thursday approved legislation to implement the agreement, which will lead to almost all Australian goods being able to enter Malaysia free of import duties. -
15-Nov-2012 Troy Media Why Australia walked away from investor state rights in trade deals - And why Canada should too
Much of the debate surrounding the Canada-China trade deal revolves around the dispute settlement clause in the deal. Troy Media contacted Professor Thomas Faunce of the Australian National University in Canberra to explain why the Australian government decided to discontinue the practise of seeking inclusion of investor state dispute settlement provisions in trade agreements with developing countries. -
12-Nov-2012 Beef Central Govt delay in Australia-Korea FTA jeopardises $770m beef export market
Australia’s share of the Korean export beef market could be slashed by half over the next 15 years, unless a Free Trade Agreement can be expediently established between the two countries, according to the industry -
3-Nov-2012 Invest in Australia Malaysia-Australia FTA in Parliament
Australian exporters of dairy products, automotive parts, iron and steel will benefit from improved market access under the MAFTA. Malaysia has also committed to allowing majority Australian ownership of service providers in such industries as telecommunications, insurance, education, tourism, research and development, accountancy and mining-related services. -
16-Oct-2012 WSJ Australia nudges India trade beyond coal
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard attended a business forum in New Delhi today, part of her government’s attempts to capitalize on booming trade with India. -
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. -
15-Aug-2012 Fair trade group condemns big tobacco’s use of trade agreements to continue plain packaging fight after High Court defeat
“We welcome the High Court decision as a vindication of the Government’s right to regulate tobacco as an addictive substance that still kills 15,000 Australians per year,” Dr Patricia Ranald, Convener of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, said today. -
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
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Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET)
AFTINET provides information, campaign materials, submissions and articles about Australia FTAs
