ISDS Case Map
Australia
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.
A year-long investigation of Australia's free trade agreements has found they are often nothing of the kind.
The Productivity Commission has released a report backing Trade Minister Craig Emerson's critique of many free trade agreements.
Australia's federal government wants to introduce trade reform that focuses less on geopolitical concerns and more on national productivity.
"The TPPA proposal is being sold as a new agreement for the 21st century. In fact, the US is effectively setting the terms for negotiations, based on a standard template that replicates the US North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) model."
Japan and Australia on Tuesday agreed to make a "fresh start" on stalled negotiations for a free trade deal after the Japanese government embraced a less protectionist trade policy this month.
Indonesia and Australia have agreed to begin negotiations to create a framework for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) to further enhance trade and investment exchanges between both countries.
Malaysia and Australia have agreed to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by next year to further improve trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
The free trade agreement (FTA) talks between Australia and Malaysia are likely to be concluded by mid-2011.
China and Australia remain well apart in glacial negotiations on a free trade deal, especially in the agriculture and services sectors, a senior Australian trade official said on Monday.
