Australia commits to WTO, seeks local trade deals

By SPA

Canberra : Australia’s Labor government committed its support to free up world trade on Thursday, and promised more bilateral and regional free trade deals, including a possible agreement with Pacific islands nations, according to Reuters.


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Trade Minister Simon Crean said a successful end to the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha round of trade negotiations would be Australia’s key trade priority under Labor, which won power last November after almost 12 years in opposition.

His comments dispel concerns that the centre-left Labor, which is supported by Australia’s trade unions, would be more protectionist than the previous conservative government, which
championed free trade and bilateral trade deals.

“This government will make the Doha negotiations our central trade priority, as they should be, complemented at the regional and bilateral level by the other liberalisation efforts,” Crean said in a speech on Thursday.

Some union leaders remain opposed to free trade and want the government to do more to protect Australia’s manufacturing sector and exporters, already facing more competition due to the rising value of Australia’s currency against the U.S. dollar.

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