ISDS Case Map
Australia
The Productivity Commission has launched a scathing attack on Australia's latest series of free trade agreements, saying they grant legal rights to foreign investors not available to Australians, expose the government to potentially large unfunded liabilities and add extra costs on businesses attempting to comply with them.
Voters in marginal seats across four states strongly oppose key aspects of Australia's free trade agreement (FTA) with China, according to an opinion poll.
The Government is looking to China to renegotiate its free trade agreement with New Zealand after China signed a more generous agreement with Australia.
Australia is seeking to restart trade talks with Indonesia, Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb said, after a series of diplomatic spats left the negotiations in limbo.
Australia is putting pressure on India to sign up to free trade agreement as good as the one finalised with China last week, says Treasurer Joe Hockey
Remarkably, the Australian government has given Chinese companies a general right to buy resources and other assets in Australia – so-called market access – without getting the same right for Australian companies in China.
In a sign of the pressure that will be brought to bear on the opposition as it considers its stance on the just-released FTA, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union warned Labor against making a pragmatic decision to offer its overall support.
Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb told ABC radio: “If it’s not dealt with in the next two or three weeks I think it’s … we’ve got a real problem with the future of the TPP.”
After 10 years of negotiations, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) will be signed on Wednesday and the text will be released on Thursday.
