Australia clinches free trade deal with US

[Yerta Bulti]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/09/1076175057602.html

The United States and Australia signed a trade agreement today that officials say will eliminate duties from more than 99 per cent of American manufacturing exports to Australia.

But in a blow for Australian sugar producers, the otherwise comprehensive agreement would not provide any more access to the protected US sugar market, an Australian official said.

The pact would also not lead to "blue sky open trade" in the dairy sector, but would still provide much more opportunity for Australian dairy farmers to sell their products in the United States, the official said.

Australia, the United States' 13th largest export market, buys more goods from the United States than from any other country. The US economy has a $US9 billion ($A11.84 billion) trade surplus in two-way trade that totalled about $US28 billion ($A36.84 billion) in 2002.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/09/1076175057602.html

Hope this is not a dupe - I searched for a post on this since the news broke about 7 hours ago but found nothing.

Anyway, has anyone seen any straight facts from the deal? I can only find opinion pices and short AAP pieces, no-one is offering a solid analysis of all sectors covered by this deal - what is happening with local media content, for example?

The SMH even runs a "rate the trade deal" poll without giving out all the details - real sloppy journalism.

[Yerta Bulti]

1. finally...

http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/us.html

[robcon]

2. Great news for the Aussies and Americans.

n/t

[rooboy]

3. Yeah, right.

Australian sugar producers get NO ACCESS. Australian beef producers will get access to US markets after EIGHTEEN YEARS.

Great news.

[Yerta Bulti]

4. No details yet, just lots of opinion...

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/09/1076175076496.html

"Senator Kerry Nettle said the government had failed to deliver on its priorities and the agreement was neither free nor fair.

She called on the government to release the full text of the deal so its detail could be studied.

Quarantine standards would be downgraded, Americans would be able to circumvent investment rules and American drug companies would get the opportunity to override the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that provides cheap drugs to Australians, the Greens said."

I still want to see the actual agreement, that dfat link I posted is just spin from Howard (best I had at the time though). Why jump to conclusions until we can all see what the new agreed rules are?

I'm surprised Latham & the Greens are already willing to oppose this without seeing the actual text. I haven't seen the evidence for Nettles last paragraph, have you?