ISDS Case Map
China
A free trade deal between Australia and China would generate controversy because of its possible impact on Australian manufacturers, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said.
New Zealand's "first-mover" advantage with China will be put to the test in coming months as other countries try to jump the queue and open free-trade negotiations with the world's most populous nation.
The Agriculture Ministry will soon require selected lots of apples and pears from China to pass mandatory tests for chemical residues, pests, micro-organisms and heavy metals before they can enter the country.
China is to sign a trade and economic cooperation pact with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Whatever the risks for New Zealand in a free-trade agreement with China, it would be hard to justify letting the opportunity to explore that possibility slip by.
The government said on Thursday that Indonesian exports to China could
double in three years following the gradual implementation of a free
trade agreement (FTA).
The Cancun round of WTO negotiations in Mexico last year ended in disarray, prompting countries to seek other means of freeing up trade.
China's Commerce Minister has described the first formal step towards a Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand as a historic moment for his country.
China and Chile, the world's largest copper consumer and supplier respectively, signed a memorandum of understanding to create a joint commission on mining, which paves the way for more Chinese miners to explore the lucrative mining market in the South American nation, said a visiting Chilean official.
A free trade agreement with China is an insurance policy against the collapse of World Trade Organisation talks, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today.
