ISDS Case Map
Australia
Australia began talks on a free-trade pact with New Zealand and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday, but said it still backed multilateral efforts to cut trade barriers.
More open trade links between Australia and the Asia-Pacific can play a major role in fighting terrorism throughout the region, Treasurer Peter Costello said today.
Free trade agreements are popping up everywhere. In its first term the Bush administration pushed four through Congress and started another three. China is negotiating FTAs with Chile and New Zealand. And Australia has negotiated three with Washington, Singapore and Thailand, and is in the process of dealing with Beijing. Not everyone thinks they are good.
The Howard Government is moving inevitably towards a free trade agreement with China. That is no bad thing. In the absence of any meaningful progress at the World Trade Organisation, a medium-sized economy such as Australia has few options but to pursue bilateral pacts with powerhouse economies such as China.
Australia is fortunate to be one of few countries to remain free of BSE, the degenerative
brain disease in cattle that causes the deadly variant CJD in people. But the Free Trade
Agreement recently signed with the United States may change this.
The United States has yet to follow through on threats to challenge amendments made to the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Trade Minister Mark Vaile today defended Australia's free trade deals with foreign countries after a new World Trade Organisation (WTO) report said such agreements could be discriminatory.
Queensland could reap $1b a year from the Free Trade Agreement with the US, but it's not going to be easy.
The agreement was first mooted in November 2002 and has been strongly backed by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who claims it as a major achievement of his government. But critics have derided it as a sell-out to US interests.
Frustrated with global trade talks, Australia is using a slew of free-trade agreements to win business across the Asian-Pacific region.
