Japan-Australia FTA talks commence
Today Japan and Australia commenced the first round of talks, designed to lead in a free trade agreement between the two countries. Australia’s Minister for Trade Warren Truss has stated that while negotiations will be quote “challenging, given both sides sensitivities” the talks would help to cement the current trade agreement and open up further opportunities for Australian businesses. But one group representing the NGO community warns that if the Australia’s 2005 Free Trade Agreement with the United States is anything to go by, the country could simply end up opening up its markets to further internal competition from Japanese companies, will no real net return. Dr Pat Ranald, the head of the AFTINET, the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, explained earlier to The Wire why the group remains opposed in principle to FTAs being negotiated between individual countries.