The United States and Australia have a Joint Committee established under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to oversee the implementation of the Agreement and review the trade and investment relationship between the two countries. The FTA also includes committees on goods, agriculture, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, financial services, labor, and environment subcommittees, which report to the Joint Committee. The full text of the Agreement is available here, and Advisory Committee reports are available here. Australia is a major exporter of natural resources, energy, food, and services. Its main imports include machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunications equipment, crude oil, and petroleum products.
Consumers in the US import a wide variety of products from Australia, including manufactured food products such as meat products, beverages, and spirits. Other key imports include specialized optical, photographic, and surgical instruments; chemicals; iron; and steel. Imports from Australia are inputs or capital goods that are used to manufacture products in the US. In January 2002, Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile and US Ambassador Robert Zoellick met to discuss a potential free trade agreement between the two countries. After a very positive meeting, they agreed to order trade officials to begin examining the elements of an FTA.
In June 2002, Australian Prime Minister John Howard visited the US, and in October 2003 President Bush visited Australia. The California Chamber of Commerce supports free trade around the world, expansion of international trade and investment, fair and equitable access to markets for California products abroad, and elimination of disincentives that hinder the international competitiveness of California companies. New multilateral, sectoral, and regional trade agreements ensure that the US can continue to access global markets which translates into an improved economy and additional employment for Americans. The United States has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia that was established in 2003. This agreement is overseen by a Joint Committee that is responsible for reviewing the trade and investment relationship between both countries. The FTA also includes committees on goods, agriculture, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, financial services, labor, and environment subcommittees that report to the Joint Committee. The full text of this agreement is available online for anyone who wishes to read it in detail. Additionally, Advisory Committee reports are also available online for those who wish to learn more about this agreement. Australia is a major exporter of natural resources such as energy and food as well as services.
Consumers in the US import a wide variety of products from Australia including manufactured food products such as meat products, beverages, and spirits. Imports from Australia are used to manufacture products in the US. This agreement was established after positive meetings between Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile and US Ambassador Robert Zoellick in 2002 as well as visits from Australian Prime Minister John Howard in June 2002 and President Bush in October 2003. The California Chamber of Commerce supports free trade around the world which helps ensure that the US can continue to access global markets which translates into an improved economy and additional employment for Americans.
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