Trade Policy
While the WTO multilateral trade negotiations of the Doha Development Agenda have
struggled to regain any significant momentum over the past year, the Australian Government has continued to pursue a range of bilateral and regional free trade agreement negotiations In addition to existing free trade agreements with the United States, Singapore and Thailand, the Australian Government is exploring new agreements with a range of key trading partners, including China, Japan and the ASEAN economies.
Of key importance for Australian vehicle exporters, the Australian Government has also commenced free trade agreement negotiations with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Combined, the GCC member states account for around 60 per cent of Australian passenger motor vehicle exports. The demand for Australian-made vehicles in the region has continued to grow in recent years and is expected to remain strong, despite the rise in the value of the Australian dollar.
While the FCAI has continued to actively contribute to the momentum of current negotiations, the Chamber has also been concerned to ensure that the Australian Government stands firm on the need to secure genuine reciprocal market access if meaningful outcomes are to be achieved. In particular the FCAI has sought to highlight the impact of a range of non-tariff barriers in other markets. The FCAI has indicated that the impact of such barriers must be addressed in any future agreements if they are to receive widespread support from the Australian automotive industry.