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Australia

Australian food labelling laws: changes and complexities for foreign trade
28-Aug-2015 Holding Redlich
Changes to Australian food labelling laws provide consumers with an increased understanding of the origin of their food. The challenge Australia faces is to ensure compliance with foreign investment trade agreements.
Protesters rally against the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Martin Place
24-Aug-2015 Sydney Morning Herald
More than one hundred protesters gathered in Martin Place, Australia on Sunday to rally in opposition against the Trans-Pacific Partnership calling for the deal to be "scrapped entirely."
ETU sparks trade debate
17-Aug-2015 Mornington News
Frankston and Mornington residents have been receiving automated phone calls, part of a campaign by the Electrical Trades Union to “stop the China Free Trade Agreement” amid union fears electricians’ jobs are at risk.
Bechtel revokes GLNG workers’ leave ahead of China FTA protest march
10-Aug-2015 The Australian Financial Review
A protest march planned by five major trade unions over the China free-trade agreement has set on edge management at United States construction giant Bechtel
Food exporters may have to rebadge food labels as a result of free trade deals
6-Aug-2015 ABC Rural
Food exporters are being warned they could face the costly process of rebadging food labels as a result of free trade deals
TPP negotiations come down to the wire
31-Jul-2015 Macro Business
With final negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement scheduled to conclude on Friday, there are a bunch of thorny issues still yet to be agreed on. Perspective from Australia.
TPP: Australia considers ’modified’ ISDS clause
29-Jul-2015 Financial Review
Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb says he won’t sign off on investor-state dispute settlement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership "until we’re satisfied that there’s a carve out for public policy on health and the environment,"
More than 2,000 unionists rally in Brisbane to protest against China-Australia FTA
28-Jul-2015 ABC
The protest marked the second national rally against the FTA, following protests at the ALP National Conference last Friday.
Media barred in Brisbane as unions rally against Chinese free trade agreement
27-Jul-2015 Sydney Morning Herald
Overzealous security has barred media from a public hearing into Australia’s free trade deal with China, prompting union claims of a cover-up.
China Free Trade Agreement: Unions call on Robb to ’set the record straight’
21-Jul-2015 Sydney Morning Herald
Australian unions will rally outside the national Labor Party conference on Friday urging it to take a tough stand against the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Australia flying blind on free trade agreements, says Productivity Commission
21-Jul-2015 Sydney Morning Herald
On the eve of negotiations expected to finalise a giant trans-Pacific free trade agreement with 11 of Australia’s neighbours, the Department of Foreign Affairs has revealed that none of Australia’s existing agreements has been subjected to an independent analysis to work out whether the claims made for it have stacked up.
Taiwan to propose economic cooperation pact with Australia
13-Jul-2015 CNA
Following signature of the China-Australia FTA last month, Taiwan will express the idea of signing one with Australia at an upcoming vice ministerial-level trade and economic meeting between the two nations in Taipei.
’If the US can offer TPP transparency, so can we’
13-Jul-2015 ABC
’Too many trade deals have failed to live up to the hype,’ the CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says.
Japan mulling import quota for Aussie, US rice in TPP talks
10-Jul-2015 World Grain
Japan is considering establishing a rice import quota each for the United States and Australia instead of lowering tarriffs
Manufacturing Workers Union warns Australian workers could miss out under new China FTA deal
8-Jul-2015
Australian workers could be excluded from jobs as the free trade agreement with China allows a flood of foreign workers into the country, the Manufacturing Workers Union has warned.
Miners dig in against union critics of free-trade deals
7-Jul-2015
The Minerals Council of Australia has dismissed critics of free-trade agreements, including unions and civil society groups, arguing that deals struck between Aus­tralia and other countries have brought substantial benefits.
AFTINET: Reply to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Myths and Realities document, June 2015
30-Jun-2015 Scoop
The Australian government misrepresents the claims of critics and fails to address substantial criticisms of the Trans Pacific Partnership, says civil society network AFTINET.
Queensland Nationals threaten revolt if TPP is sugar-free
29-Jun-2015 The Australian
Queensland Nationals MPs will refuse to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement unless it opens up significant new ­export opportunities for the Australian sugar industry.
Calls for reform in Thai-Aust trade pact
26-Jun-2015 AAP
Thailand faces pressure to open its highly protected dairy and beef markets to Australian exporters under the decades-old Thai-Australia free trade pact.
China-Australia FTA - the devil in the detail
26-Jun-2015 Lexology
While the legal text of the China-Australia FTA (ChAFTA) was signed last week, the investment legal framework will be reviewed within the next three years with a view to commencing negotiations for a comprehensive Investment Chapter to be included in ChAFTA.