Minister for Trade Simon Crean re-entered formal free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with China in mid-June, the 11th round since talks began in 2005 and the first since the Rudd government came to power.
“Negotiations will continue to be challenging as this is China’s first FTA with a country that has trade interests across the board, covering services, agriculture, resources and manufacturing,” said Crean.
While neither country expects to settle the FTA soon, both have made a pact to realise early outcomes, with Crean pushing Australian services, “where Australia has particular strengths and where Australian companies encounter a range of behind the border barriers to trade and investment”.