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Articles on Free trade agreement

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The fight over fast-track trade authority increasingly resembles a Shakespearean tragedy. Tempest via www.shutterstock.com

Obama, Shakespeare and the aborted legacy of the Trans-Pacific trade agreement

Events in Washington this week on the proposed historic 12-member Trans-Pacific trade agreement have had all the key elements of a Shakespearean tragedy. A resolute, noble and well-intentioned ruler (played…
If the proposals are agreed, they could delay the market entry of generic medicines in the region – and the impact will be felt around the world. Jeng_Niamwhan

RCEP: the trade agreement you’ve never heard of but should be concerned about

Seven rounds of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership have already taken place with virtually no public debate. The next round of negotiations begins today in Kyoto, Japan.
Australian cattle wait to be loaded onto a ship to Indonesia. Their voyage to the United States would be even longer. AAP Image/Xavier La Canna

Why exporting live cattle to the United States is a bad idea

Australia’s cattle industry is keen to begin live exports to the United States. But America is very different to existing live export markets such as Indonesia, making the move much more ethically fraught.
Agriculture remains a major employer in Australia but the challenges of competition, food security and climate change are on the horizon. AAP image/supplied by Graincorp

Australia’s ‘five strong pillar economy’: agriculture

As the Coalition government prepares its second budget, how is the “five pillar” economy promised by Tony Abbott faring?
Amidst the hugging of cuddly animals, G20 leaders talked growth. Andrew Taylor/G20 Australia/AAP

2014, the year that was: Business + Economy

In April, Treasurer Joe Hockey set the tone for his economics policies in a speech in New York on what he referred to as ending the “entitlement culture”. Hockey, who had given a defining speech in 2012…
The China-Australia FTA is more important to Canberra than Beijing, placing China at a distinct advantage. www.shutterstock.com

The noodle-bowl effect: Australian trade is increasingly complex

Fact: over 585 regional trade agreements have been signed. Almost 400 are already operating. Australia is a signatory to at least 12 of them. An intricate web of cross-cutting free trade agreements (FTAs…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before their bilateral meeting on trade. Mike Bowers/AAP

Australia-China free trade only a first step to real partnership

Today’s completion of free trade talks with China has been ten years in the making. Australia already has free trade agreements (FTAs) with Japan, the United States, Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. However…
Australia’s reputation for strict farming standards helped its beef industry weather the BSE crisis. Malcolm Paterson/CSIRO/Wikimedia Commons

Australia shouldn’t sacrifice food safety standards for free trade

Ten years on from the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement, Australia is entering another round of negotiations towards the new and controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership. In this Free Trade Scorecard series…
It’s not yet clear how the Coalition will weigh health issues against economic priorities. jdwfoto/Shutterstock

Coalition’s policy bodes ill for health in free trade negotiations

Ten years on from the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement, Australia is entering another round of negotiations towards the new and controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership. In this Free Trade Scorecard series…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is inching Australia closer to a free trade agreement with China. Parker Song/EPA/AAP

Key events in the 10-year journey towards a China-Australia FTA

The clock is ticking down to the end of year deadline Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has given for sign off on a free trade agreement with China. In this China-Australia FTA series we explore what…
With the world watching, Australia’s FTA with China is likely to be more about diplomacy than economics. Parker Song/EPA/AAP

Bar set low for a ‘do no harm’ China-Australia FTA

The clock is ticking down to the end of year deadline Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has given for sign off on a free trade agreement with China. In this China-Australia FTA series we explore what…
Australia’s free trade agreement with Japan has benefits outside the agricultural sectors. Kimimasa Mayama/AAP

FTA opens Japanese doors for Australian business

When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives in Australia to talk trade and investment in Canberra and sign a free trade agreement between the two countries, it will kickstart a relationship first formed…
A China-Australia FTA agreement would be handy for business but it’s just the first step. Parker Song/Pool/AAP

Australia-China FTA a stepping stone rather than an end point

Going from raw data the Australia-China trade relationship should be a source of celebration and congratulation. In 2013, bilateral trade came to A$140 billion, up 20% on the year before. Even better…
The Australian government hopes to finalise the Free Trade Agreement with China by the end of the year. PARKER SONG / POOL/ AAP

Why China-Australia FTA may still be some way off

This week treasurer Joe Hockey, and trade minister Andrew Robb have been in China for the inaugural Australia-China Strategic Economic Dialogue. These talks are one part of the “Strategic Partnership…
Beef sales in Japan involve tightly controlled captive supply chains. Andy Rain/AAP

Japan-Australia deal leaves beef trade in the 20th century

The Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) signed last week is a bilateral trade deal in the old-fashioned mould. In the twenty-first century, global economic negotiations tend to be preoccupied…

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