FREE TRADE – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Australia, Asia ‘still vital’ for US trade

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Original article by Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Apr-17

The Asia-Pacific region remains "strategically and economically" important to the US, according to the acting ambassador to Australia, James Carouso. He stresses that President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership will not affect the US’s engagement with the region, and the US will continue to pursue bilateral trade deals in Asia. Carouso also notes that two-way trade between Australia and the US has increased significantly since the free trade agreement between the two nations was ratified in 2004.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, BOEING COMPANY, CHEVRON CORPORATION, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, 3M CORPORATION, CISCO SYSTEMS INCORPORATED, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIMITED

PM to push security ties with India

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Apr-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull does not expect a free trade deal between Australia and India to be signed any time soon. Turnbull, who is visiting India, noted that there are issues on both sides of the free trade discussion that will need to be overcome before progress towards an agreement can be made. Turnbull and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed on the need for stronger security ties between the two countries, while Turnbull is keen to promote Australia as the premier destination for Indian students wanting to study overseas.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, INDIA. PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, SKY NEWS, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD

Stalled India trade reboot

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Apr-17

Progressing a free trade deal will be high on the agenda of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during his three-day visit to India. Two-way trade between Australia and India was worth over $A19 billion in 2015-16, but Turnbull believes there is no reason why it should not be worth a lot more. The major sticking points to striking a free trade deal are seen to be Australia’s wish for greater access to India’s agricultural market and India’s desire for better access to Australia’s labour market.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Living standards leap as Asia trade deals deliver

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 3-Apr-17

Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade highlights the economic benefits of Australia’s free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and China. There has been a 140 per cent increase in goods exported to these countries since 2014. Wine, sugar, grapes and beef are among the products that have enjoyed strong growth in exports under the FTAs. Trade Minister Steve Ciobo notes that exports contributed to a five per cent increase in real disposable income during the December 2016 quarter.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIST, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Unions pressure Shorten on TPP

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 18-Jan-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes that the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal can proceed without the US. However, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has questioned why Turnbull is still supporting the TPP when it is unlikely to go ahead. ACTU president Ged Kearney has urged Shorten to state whether the Australian Labor Party will vote against the TPP legislation if it is put before Parliament. Shorten has only indicated that Labor will consider the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES)

Turnbull lashes Shorten for TPP stand

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Jan-17

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will move to block a push to bring forward a parliamentary vote on ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Shorten argues that there is no point in proceeding with a vote on the TPP as the US will not ratify the 12-nation agreement under incoming President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has criticised Shorten’s stance and indicated that the TPP could potentially proceed without the US. The Greens also oppose the TPP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION. BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Turnbull lashes Shorten for TPP stand

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Jan-17

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will move to block a push to bring forward a parliamentary vote on ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Shorten argues that there is no point in proceeding with a vote on the TPP as the US will not ratify the 12-nation agreement under incoming President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has criticised Shorten’s stance and indicated that the TPP could potentially proceed without the US. The Greens also oppose the TPP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION. BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Ciobo still hopes for TPP, minus US

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Nov-16

US President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be his first priority upon taking office. Australia’s Trade Minister Steve Ciobo is optimistic that the TPP can proceed without the US, arguing that the other participating nations could negotiate a new TPP deal that could include China or Indonesia. Meanwhile, economist Warwick McKibbin says Australia’s GDP could potentially fall by 5.6 per cent if the Trump administration starts a trade war with China.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD

TPP dead but free-trade deal still on

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 11-Nov-16

Australia’s Trade Minister Steve Ciobo has acknowledged that the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership is unlikely to proceed after Donald Trump won the US presidential election. Kim Beazley, Australia’s former ambassador to Washington, also says Trump’s victory has assured the TPP’s demise, but he stresses the need for Australia to retain strong trade ties, particularly with Asia. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull does not expect the Trump presidency to have any effect on the Australia-US free-trade agreement, which came into effect in 2005.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES)

TPP to tackle protectionism

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 2 : 27-Sep-16

Two federal parliament committees are examining the proposed 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership. Andrew Hudson of the Export Council of Australia has told the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties that Australia must ratify the trade agreement, as failure to do so would bolster the protectionist movement, which he noted is gaining support in many parts of the world. However, the Electrical Trades Union has argued against ratifying the trade deal.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, EXPORT COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON TREATIES, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), FOOD AND BEVERAGE IMPORTERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA