President Obama pulled out all the stops in recent days, but it wasn’t enough to convince House Democrats that he would negotiate a fair trade deal in the Pacific.
The fight over fast-track trade authority increasingly resembles a Shakespearean tragedy.
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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.
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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
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.
Senator Warren has had pointed words on the subject of TPA.
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While the Obama Administration vociferously disagrees, Trade Promotion Authority opens the door to watering down financial reform.
Agriculture remains a major employer in Australia but the challenges of competition, food security and climate change are on the horizon.
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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.
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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…
China and Australia have signed a declaration of intent for a free trade agreement.
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The services sector is poised to reap significant gains from the China-Australia free trade deal. Preferential access will be granted across key areas such as education, financial services, legal services…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before their bilateral meeting on trade.
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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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…
Talking of turkey, Samoa got a bum deal.
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Trade agreements are being used to “handcuff governments” over health policy, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation said at its assembly. This was “disturbing” she went on, adding…
Beef sales in Japan involve tightly controlled captive supply chains.
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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…
Research Fellow, NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in the Social Determinants of Health Equity, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University