Developments in Australias bilateral and regional trading arrangements

1
Developments in Australias bilateral and
regional trading arrangements

• Michael Mugliston
• Head, Asia Trade Task Force

2
Australias Trade Policy

• Aim to liberalise trade and investment
  conditions in overseas markets
• Priority a substantial outcome from the WTO
  Doha Round negotiations
• Multi-pronged approach multilateral/
  regional/bilateral

3
FTA Developments

• Global spread gained pace mid-1990s accelerated
  post-Seattle (1999)
• 180 FTAs notified since 1995
• estimate 300 FTAs in force by end 2007
• New Asia Pacific regionalism

4
Attitude to FTAs

• Prospect of benefits more quickly than WTO
• Approach
• deepen economic links with key trading partners
• commercially meaningful outcomes
• comprehensiveness
• WTO-consistency
• Domestic consultations

5
FTA Agenda

• Existing FTAs cover 24 of two-way trade
• NZ, Singapore, the US, Thailand
• FTAs under negotiation cover a further 19 of
  two-way trade
• ASEAN, China, Malaysia, the UAE

6
Current State of Play

• Existing FTAs
• ANZCERTA (1983)
• SAFTA (2003)
• TAFTA (2005)
• AUSFTA (2005)
• Built-in agenda

7
Negotiations Underway (1)

• Australia-UAE FTA
• entry point to Gulf region
• important trade interests PMV, car parts,
  food/wine, services
• Australia-China FTA
• 3rd largest trading partner (11.1)
• fastest growing major export market
• 4th round in progress

8
Negotiations Underway (2)

• Australia-Malaysia FTA
• 9th largest trading partner
• key interests tariff peaks, NTMs, services
• Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA
• plurilateral 12 countries, diverse region
• Guiding Principles

9
Conclusion

• FTAs are living documents that can deliver
• improved access to key markets
• more stable, predictable transparent trading
  and investment conditions
• further economic integration
• Adjust to take up opportunities

10
Further input welcomed

• Australian industry, States/Territories others
• For further information regular updates see
• www.fta.gov.au
• and
• www.dfat.gov.au/trade