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Ongoing Free Trade negotiations
Print this pageAustralia-China FTA negotiations
On 18 April 2005, Prime Minister John Howard and Premier Wen Jiabao of China agreed that Australia and China would commence negotiations on an FTA following consideration of the joint FTA Feasibility Study. The study, completed in March 2005, concluded that there would be significant economic benefits for both Australia and China through the negotiation of an FTA.
More detail on the progress of the negotiations can be found on the 
DFAT website.
Australia-Japan FTA negotiations
On 12 December 2006, Prime Minister John Howard and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to commence negotiations on a FTA in early 2007.
The decision to commence negotiations followed the successful conclusion of a joint government study on the feasibility of a bilateral FTA. The study was undertaken at the request of Prime Minister Howard and then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. It concluded that a comprehensive and WTO-consistent FTA between Australia and Japan would bring significant benefits to both countries.
More detail on the progress of the negotiations can be found on the DFAT website.
Australia-Malaysia FTA negotiations
On 7 April 2005, Prime Minister John Howard and his Malaysian counterpart, Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, agreed to launch negotiations on a bilateral FTA.
The Australian Scoping Study, An Australia-Malaysia FTA was conducted in consultation with a wide range of industry, state and territory, and non-government groups, and concluded an FTA would deliver significant benefits to both countries.
More detail on the progress of the negotiations can be found on the DFAT website.
Australia-Chile FTA negotiations
On 8 December 2006, the Australian Minister for Trade, Warren Truss, announced that the Australian Government had agreed in-principle to commencing a bilateral negotiation process with Chile, with a view to developing a comprehensive FTA.
More information about the negotiations can be found on the Trade Minister’s website.
Australia-GCC FTA negotiations
The Australian Government is seeking to move forward with an early launch of FTA negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC comprises of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Australian Trade Minister, Mr Warren Truss has released an abridged version of a study on the benefits of a free trade agreement between Australia and the GCC. The report concludes that a FTA would maximise Australia’s long term commercial interest in the GCC, a region experiencing strong economic growth and implementing economic reforms that promised greater market openness in the future.
More detail on the progress of the negotiations can be found on the DFAT website.
Australia-ASEAN-NZ FTA negotiations
On 30 November 2004, Prime Minister John Howard, together with his ASEAN and New Zealand counterparts, announced that negotiations would commence on a FTA between Australia, ASEAN and New Zealand in early 2005.
Meeting in Laos, the 12 leaders agreed the FTA would be comprehensive, covering trade in goods and services, and investment, and that it should build on individual members' commitments in the WTO. The leaders also agreed to complete the FTA negotiations within two years and to implement the Agreement fully within 10 years.
An FTA with ASEAN will complement our bilateral FTAs with Singapore and Thailand, as well as our FTA negotiations with Malaysia. It will also contribute to the strength of Australia's engagement with South-East Asia.
DCITA is working with DFAT to represent Australia's telecommunications and electronic commerce interests in the trade negotiations. Other areas of DCITA interest in the negotiations include audio-visual, postal and sporting services, intellectual property and government procurement.
More detail on the progress of the negotiations can be found on the DFAT website.
- Document ID: 71500 |
- Last modified: 5 February 2008, 7:55pm