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Australia

Malaysia and Australia set to enter new era with FTA
31-Jul-2006
Economic relations between Malaysia and Australia are set to enter a new era when the two countries conclude a free trade agreement (FTA).
Academics branded ’anti-US over FTA research’
31-Jul-2006
The head of the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra says there has been an attempt to silence academics who are making critical comments about issues of public importance.
Bilateral deals ’mock’ Doha
31-Jul-2006
The Doha round of world trade talks may have collapsed in Geneva last week — denying the world’s developing countries their promised access to global markets — but leading trade expert Jagdish Bhagwati remains optimistic about the cause of multilateral trade liberalisation.
Steel boss sounds alarm on China FTA
31-Jul-2006
The head of Australia’s biggest steel maker, BlueScope Steel, has questioned the value of a free-trade deal with China and urged the Federal Government to even up tariffs on steel traded between the countries.
Australia-Japan trade study to end in Dec.
22-Jul-2006 Houston Chronicle
A feasibility study examining a possible free trade deal between Australia and Japan will be finished by December, possibly allowing negotiations to begin in early 2007, the trade minister said Frida
Aussie envoy: FTA will stir interest in Malaysia
22-Jul-2006 Business Times
An agreement to liberalise trade of goods and services between Malaysia and Australia will help attract more Australian firms to invest in and trade with Malaysia.
FTA threatens blood supply: study
14-Jul-2006 Sydney Morning Herald
The safety of the Australian blood supply could be jeopardised under the free trade agreement with the United States, researchers have warned.
Canberra quenches Beijing’s energy thirst
3-Jul-2006
No other country today appears to be more important in Australia’s diplomatic and political calculations than China, at least for commercial purposes.
Howard trade trip signals closer ties
29-Jun-2006
Australian Prime Minister John Howard will pay a two-day visit to China from today to promote gas exports and plans for a free-trade deal with the booming, energy-famished economy.
Leaders optimistic on Sino-Australian FTA talks
29-Jun-2006
Both the Chinese premier and the Australian prime minister have expressed their hopes of accelerating talks on a free-trade agreement yesterday in the southern city.
China trade plan wins few friends
28-Jun-2006
Fewer than a quarter of Australian manufacturing companies support a free trade agreement with China, according a survey by the Australian Industry Group.
Crisis to worsen under FTA: union
26-Jun-2006
The crisis in the automotive components sector will continue to worsen as long as the Federal Government permits unfair international competition and refuses to implement a strategic industry policy.
Australia to consider free trade talks
22-Jun-2006 AP
Australia will consider negotiating a free trade agreement with several Middle Eastern countries, Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile said Wednesday.
Gulf trade talks may widen
21-Jun-2006
THE Government will look at expanding its free trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates to take in a deal with a much wider group of Middle Eastern nations. The member states of the Gulf Co-operation Council - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - have asked Australia to incorporate the bilateral negotiations into a wider deal.
NZ, Australia should be patient over ASEAN trade deal : Singapore PM
20-Jun-2006 Antara
New Zealand and Australia will have to be patient over striking a free trade deal with ASEAN countries, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday.
S’pore-Australia FTA can be updated to ’gold standard’: PM Lee
20-Jun-2006
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement could be updated to become a "gold standard FTA".
Free trade fears in Snowy backflip
12-Jun-2006 The Age
The last-minute scrapping of the $3 billion Snowy Hydro float, attributed by the Government to the public outcry at the prospect of losing control of an "icon", may have been partly prompted by fears it would contravene Australia’s free trade agreement negotiated with the US last year.
FTA hurting Thai farmers
11-Jun-2006 Bangkok Post
A recent study led by Thammasat University academic Rangsan Thanapornpan claims that the Australia-Thailand free trade agreement has benefited only a small group of industrialists, while people in the agricultural sector have been adversely affected.
Australia given signal of services fight
31-May-2006 The Standard
Beijing has told Canberra that opening access to China’s services industry will be the most difficult aspect in bilateral free-trade negotiations, according to an Australian official.
Australia at your service, but China still cagey
27-May-2006 The Age
After a year of skirmishing, Australia’s free trade discussions with China are taking shape, with China agreeing in principle to include the sensitive areas of government procurement and investment in any agreement.