ISDS Case Map
Australia
This weekend's meeting of Pacific trade ministers in Auckland to progress the launch of PACER+ trade negotiations has all the hallmarks of an Australian and New Zealand ambush, the Arena network said today.
The Australian dairy industry has backed the stance by Trade Minister Simon Crean in refusing to accept China's exclusion of agricultural products from a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Australia is seeking undertakings from China to work collaboratively on supporting global food supplies and to accelerate negotiations to forge a free trade agreement that delivers benefits for Australia's farming, fishing and forestry industries.
The idea of a South Pacific free trade zone is a dream which has remained elusive for many years, mainly because many island nations are heavily dependent on import tariffs to maintain government services. Despite this, Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean has been touring the region in an attempt to generate new support for the concept.
Vanuatu's government has indicated its support for a proposed regional free trade deal between Australia, New Zealand and the wider Pacific region.
At a time when New Zealand needs the flexibility to respond to pressing domestic economic priorities, and with fresh questions being raised in Australia about the value of their free trade agreements, now was not the time to be signing away New Zealand's economic sovereignty, Professor Jane Kelsey told a select committee this morning considering the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement.
Australia's biggest ever free trade agreement has been branded as mediocre by one of the first detailed reviews of the deal.
Access to direct investments in China has become a bigger priority for Australia as it negotiates a Free Trade Agreement, Trade Minister Simon Crean told reporters on Tuesday.
Japanese demand for Australian commodities may be waning, but the Rudd Government insists there is still the political will for Tokyo and Canberra to find common ground on free trade.
A free trade deal between China and Australia won't be conditional on the government giving the green light to Chinalco's grab for a bigger share of Rio Tinto, Trade Minister Simon Crean says.
