FREE TRADE – GOVERNMENT POLICY – CHINA

Union bid to torpedo China FTA

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 8-Jun-16

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Electrical Trades Union have launched an advertising campaign that aims to put free trade agreements on the election agenda. The trade deal with China is being targeted by the unions, which want the Australian Labor Party to reconsider its support for the deal if it wins the 2016 election. Meanwhile, Labor has indicated that it will seek to remove so-called "investor state dispute settlement" provisions from Australia’s trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, MIGRATION COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

China deal driving jobs and growth: Ciobo

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Original article by Rowan Callick
The Australian – Page: 2 : 2-May-16

Australia’s Trade and Investment Minister, Steve Ciobo, says local businesses of all sizes have benefited from the free trade agreement with China, which took effect in late December 2015. He notes that the downturn in commodity prices reduced the total value of exports to China in the March 2016 quarter, although this was offset by a rise in non-resources exports. Products that recorded strong growth in export volumes during the quarter include bottled wine, fresh fruit and seafood.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor to pass China FTA despite unions

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 14-Oct-15

The Australian Government is expected to agree to some minor changes to the free trade agreement with China that have been endorsed by the Opposition’s caucus. The three amendments to the Migration Act relate to foreign workers who are hired on 457 visas. The trade deal is now expected to be passed by Parliament within weeks, allowing it to come into effect by the end of 2015. However, ACTU president Ged Kearney says the protection of Australian jobs is still a concern.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION

Labor wins free trade concessions

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Oct-15

The Australian Labor Party will release its proposed legislative changes to protect Australian jobs on 12 October 2015. The Federal Government is reportedly willing to agree to amend the Migration Act in order to ensure the passage of the China-Australia free trade agreement through Parliament. The matter was discussed by Trade Minister Andrew Robb and his Opposition counterpart, Penny Wong.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Union threat to China free trade deal

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 17-Jul-15

The free-trade agreement with China will be a key issue at the Australian Labor Party’s National Conference in July 2015. A group of unions will lobby the Opposition to pursue changes to the trade deal when the bill is debated in parliament, while shadow trade minister Penny Wong has expressed concern that the trade deal does not protect Australian jobs. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon also has reservations about some aspects of the deal with regard to imported labour.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA

China deal to deliver benefits faster than other FTAs

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Original article by Greg Earl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 12-Jan-15

The Australian Government has revealed that the free trade agreement (FTA) with China will result in tariffs on goods imported from China being abolished within four years. In contrast, the respective FTAs with Japan and South Korea do not abolish tariffs for seven years after the trade deals take effect. The Government believes that reducing tariffs on Chinese goods more quickly will benefit Australia, as it will in turn increase local manufacturers’ and service providers’ access to the Chinese market

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Surge likely for China investment

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Original article by Rowan Callick
The Australian – Page: 28 : 19-Nov-14

Ross Hamilton of Ernst & Young forecasts that Chinese investors will ramp up their investment in Australian commercial property to $A8bn a year due to the free trade agreement. He notes that Chinese investment in the sector has totalled just $A24bn over the last seven years. Greenland Australia MD Luo Xiaohua says the Chinese group has invested $A2bn in Australia to date

CORPORATES
ERNST AND YOUNG, SHANGHAI GREENLAND GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, WANDA GROUP

New partnership with China

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Nov-14

Australia and China have signed a free trade agreement. Chinese President Xi Jinping told the Australian Parliament on 17 November 2014 that China is a peace-loving nation. He hopes the trade deal will strengthen Australia’s ties with China. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the Australian Labor Party will scrutinise provisions for bringing Chinese workers to Australia for infrastructure projects valued at more than $A150 million

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Finance, tourism, health win China deal

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 17-Nov-14

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Chinese President Xi Jinping will sign a free trade agreement on 17 November 2014, after a decade of negotiations. It is believed that tariffs on about 85 per cent of Australian exports to China will be scrapped when the deal commences, rising to 93 per cent in the next four years. Service industries in particular are set to benefit from the deal, including law firms, tourism operators, financial services providers and health care groups

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, CHINA. MINISTRY OF FINANCE

Confidence grows for China trade pact

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Original article by Sid Maher, David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Sep-14

A free trade agreement between China and Australia may be signed by the end of 2014. There was good progress at negotiations in early September, but a number of issues must still be finalised. However, Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb said that both sides are politically motivated to conclude the agreement

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, PEOPLE’S BANK OF CHINA, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED