ISDS Case Map
Australia
The executive chairman of the company behind Australia's top-selling cheese brand has warned that the Australian government's support for the car industry is holding up a free-trade agreement with China.
The Australian financial services sector could be a major beneficiary if the Labor government is able to finalise the long-awaited free trade agreement with China.
Australia will undertake a major rethink of its investment stance towards China, with the Rudd government now prepared to discuss reducing hurdles to Chinese investment as it strives to conclude a free trade agreement with Beijing.
China appreciated Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's positive attitude in advancing talks for a free trade pact, Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, told a news briefing on Wednesday.
Kevin Rudd will accelerate efforts to stitch up a fresh trade deal with China ahead of the election and plans to send new Trade Minister Richard Marles to hold top-level talks in Beijing next week.
The Rudd government is likely to face new pressure from rural exporters to push ahead with a free trade agreement with China after New Zealand signed a breakthrough deal with Taiwan on Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed bilateral relations with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd by phone on Monday, vowing to boost efforts for the conclusion of free trade talks between the two countries.
Australia’s newly reinstalled Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urged China - the country’s largest trading partner - to conclude the stalled bilateral free trade deal
In the most recent talks, held in Beijing earlier this month, the Australian government reported "good progress" on sanitary issues and technical barriers to trade, and "constructive discussions" on trade in goods, customs procedures, investment and dispute settlement, but this is not good enough, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Julie Bishop says.
Are the PBS and Pharmac under threat from the TPP? Certainly, the respective governments of both Australia and New Zealand think not. So why then the paranoia? Quite simply, we need the US more than they need us. In order to secure the TPP (and with it, for example, access to the lucrative US dairy market), both Australia and New Zealand will likely need to yield in several key areas.
