Recommendations in a draft review of bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), released today by the Productivity Commission (PC), would lower the threshold for Australian trade negotiations and carve out our precious farm exports, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) warned. The draft states: “In determining its approach to particular bilateral and regional trade agreements, Australia should adopt a more flexible approach to the comprehensiveness of agreements, including... ...Read more »

The Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, with his Indian counterpart Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma, yesterday welcomed the conclusion of the Australia-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Joint Feasibility Study.The Study recommends negotiation of a comprehensive bilateral FTA that includes trade in goods, trade in services, investment and other trade and investment facilitation and cooperation measures, as a single undertaking. Ministers Crean and Sharma endorsed the feasibility study recommendation... ...Read more »

The free trade agreement with ASEAN countries, which came into effect this week, offers little benefit to Australian producers while removing all tariffs on food imported into Australia, according to the leader of The Nationals and Shadow Trade Minister, Warren Truss.”This free trade agreement is an alarming example of what Labor is prepared to concede to get a seat at a treaty signing ceremony,” Mr Truss contended. “AANZFTA may well be the first trade agreement Australia has signed... ...Read more »

Federal Trade Minister Simon Crean yesterday welcomed the commencement of Australia’s largest free trade agreement – the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), with food exporters likely to be among the lead beneficiaries. The historic agreement will span 12 economies with over 600 million people and a combined GDP of $3.1 trillion. “The commencement of this agreement is a major milestone and opens up significant opportunities for Australian businesses in one... ...Read more »

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke is in China and Hong Kong this week with Australian industry leaders promoting wine and meat and pushing for a free trade agreement.Mr Burke will meet with Chinese counterparts including the ministers responsible for agriculture and quarantine and the head of China’s State Forestry Administration. He is expected to seek undertakings from China to work collaboratively on supporting global food supplies and to accelerate negotiations... ...Read more »

The Australia-Chile Free Trade Agreement will come into force tomorrow 6 March, 2009, opening up greater opportunities to meat, wine and dairy exporters.This was the first Free Trade Agreement to be concluded by the Rudd Government and comes into force a week after Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, signed the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA. “I urge Australian exporters to take advantage of the new opportunities offered by the Australia-Chile FTA now that it has entered into force,” Mr... ...Read more »

Federal Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, has joined Trade Ministers from the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and New Zealand in signing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).This represents the largest FTA Australia has ever signed and will reduce or eliminate tariffs across a region that is home to 600 million people and has an annual GDP of A$3.2 trillion. Australia’s two-way trade with the ASEAN region is worth $80 billion a year... ...Read more »

The Australia-Chile Free Trade Agreement is set to come into force on 6 March, 2009, allowing a host of Australian exporters a greater opportunity to enter a growing market. The Minister for Trade Simon Crean welcomed the start of the FTA saying it would take the relationship with Chile to a new level. “I am proud of this agreement. This is the first Free Trade Agreement to be concluded by the Rudd Government and, with this announcement, will be the first to enter into force. It is an agreement... ...Read more »

Ballarat-based Hakubaku Australia has completed the largest ever export deal for Australian-made organic retail products into Korea with a $300,000 shipment of organic ‘Somen’ noodles to leading Korean food brand Sajo Haepyo, with the assistance of Austrade. Hakubaku’s products will be sold to approximately 420 stores across Korea the country, representing the second largest retail coverage for any Australian-made product behind Australian beef. Hakubaku’s organic varieties complement... ...Read more »