Mr Paul Ross
General Manager
Bilateral Trade (Americas, Southeast Asia, Subcontinent, New Zealand and the Pacific)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Bilateral Trade (Americas, Southeast Asia, Subcontinent, New Zealand and the Pacific)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Negotiations over bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements are often tough, but they offer significant economic benefits and broader benefits through deepening Australian engagement with the region. They complement Australia's priority efforts in the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations.
- So far there have been thirteen rounds of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and nine rounds of the Japan Australia FTA negotiations.
- For the ASEAN/Australia/New Zealand FTA, which was signed in February and is expected to come into force by early 2010, there were 16 formal rounds. These negotiations were particularly complex because of the diversity of countries involved, from the more developed economies of ASEAN through to the less developed members. Often, ASEAN countries had difficulty on agreeing to a common position and a lot of time in the negotiations was taken up with ASEAN caucusing. The agreement offers significant benefits to Australian industry, including agriculture. This agreement is the first one Australia has signed which includes an economic cooperation chapter. The economic cooperation program will assist ASEAN countries to implement the Agreement.
- Agriculture is often a sensitive sector for those countries with which Australia negotiates FTAs. Quarantine arrangements and government procurement were among the difficult areas in the AANZFTA negotiations.