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    INTRODUCTION OF AUST RALIA ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 1

    GOVERNMENTOFAUSTRALIA ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 1

    FOREIGN RELATIONS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 2

    ECONOMY ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 3

    ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 4

    TAXATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 4BALANCEOFPAYMENTS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 4CURRENTAREASOFCONCERN ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 5

    BRIEF PROFILE OF AUSTRALIAN TRADE AUSTRA LIA ................................ ................................ ............................ 6

    AUSTRALIAS TRADE PERFORMANCE ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 6

    AUSTRALIA AND THE WTO ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 7

    AGRICULTUR E AND THE WTO ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 8

    WORLD AGRICULTURAL MARKETS UNFAIR AND DISTORTED................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 10WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) AND AGRICULTURE ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 10AGRICULTURE IN THE DOHA ROUND ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 11

    NON-AGRICULTURAL MARKET ACCESS (INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS) ................................ ................................ ..... 13THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICES TRADE TO AUSTRALIA ................................ ................................ ..................... 14

    THE COMPOSITION OF AUSTRALIAN TRADE IN SERVICES ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 14SERVICES TRADE AND THE WTO ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 15WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO OPEN SERVICES MARKETS? ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 15HOW IS TRADE IN SERVICES REGULATED? ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 15THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICES TO GLOBAL TRADE ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 16

    INTELLECTUAL PROPER TY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE ................................ ................................ ................... 17

    WTO AND TRIPS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 17WHAT DOES TRIPS DO? ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 17TRIPS AND WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 18ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION FORUM (APEC) ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 18

    TRADE REMEDIES................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 19

    ANTI-DUMPING AND THE WTOANTI-DUMPING AGREEMENT ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 19COUNTERVAILING MEASURES,SUBSIDIES AND THE WTOSUBSIDIESAGREEMENT ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 19SAFEGUARDS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 20

    WTO RULES................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 22

    ANTI-DUMPING,SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 22FISHERIES SUBSIDIES ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 22

    SINGAPORE ISSUES: TRADE FACILITATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 23

    TRADE FACILITATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 23

    THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) & FRE E TRADE AGREEMENTS ................................ ........................ 24

    REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND THE DOHA ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS RULES NEGOTIATIONS FOR RTAS ................................ ................................ .. 24COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 24

    WTO TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 26

    WTO ACCESSIONS AND HOW AUSTRALIA STANDS TO BENEFIT ................................ ................................ ........ 27

    MARKET ACCESS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 27AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 28

    TRADE INDICATORS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 29

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    1

    INTRODUCTION OF AUSTRALIA

    Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere

    comprising the mainland of the Australian continent (the world's smallest), the island of

    Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring

    countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon

    Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast.

    Australia is a prosperous developed count ry with a multicultural society. It ranks highly in

    many international comparisons of national performance such as human development,

    quality of life, health care, life expectancy, public education, economic freedom and the

    protection of civil liberties and political rights. Australian cities rank among the world's highest

    in terms of cultural offerings and quality of life.

    Australia is a member of the:

    United Nations,

    y G20,

    y Commonwealth of Nations,

    y OECD,

    y APEC,

    y Pacific Islands Forum, and the

    y World Trade Organization.

    GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA

    The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional democracy based on a federal division of

    powers. The form of government used in Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a

    parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia. The Queen

    is represented by the Governor-General at the federal level and by the Governors at the state

    level. Although the Constitution gives extensive executive powers to the Governor-General,

    these are normally exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister.

    There are three branches of government, known as the separation of powers:

    y The legislature: the Commonwealth Parliament, comprising the Queen, the Senate,

    and the House of Representatives; the Queen is represented by the Governor -General,

    who by convention acts on the advice of his or her Ministers.

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    y The executive: the Federal Executive Council (the Governor-General as advised by the

    Executive Councillors); in practice, the councillors are the Prime Minister and Ministers

    of State.

    y The judiciary: the High Court of Australia and other federal courts. Appeals from

    Australian courts to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Counci l in the United Kingdom

    ceased when theAustralia Act of 1986 was passed.

    Foreign relations

    Over recent decades, Australia's foreign relations have been driven by a close association with

    the United States through the ANZUS pact, and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia

    and the Pacific, particularly through ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum. In 2005 Australia

    secured an inaugural seat at the East Asia Summit following its accession to the Treaty of

    Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia . Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of

    Nations, in which the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings provide the main forum

    for cooperation.

    Australia has pursued the cause of international trade liberalisation. It led the formation of

    the Cairns Group and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Australia is a member of the

    Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization,

    and has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the Australia

    United States Free Trade Agreement and Closer Economic Relations with New Zealand. As of

    2010, Australia is negotiating a free trade agreement with Japan, with whom Australia has

    close economic ties as a trusted partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Along with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Singapore, Australia is party tothe Five Power Defence Arrangements, a regional defence agreement. A founding member

    country of the United Nations, Australia is strongly committed to multilateralism, and

    maintains an international aid program under which some 60 countries receive assistance.

    The 200506 budget provides A$2.5 billion for development assistance; as a percentage of

    GDP, this contribution is less than that recommended in the UN Millennium Development

    Goals. Australia ranks seventh overall in the Center for Global Development's 2008

    Commitment to Development Index.

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    ECONOMY

    The economy of Australia is a developed, modern market economy with a GDP of

    approximately $1 trillion USD. In 2009, it was the 13th largest national economy by nominal

    GDPand the 18th largest measured by PPP adjusted GDP , representing about 1.7% of the

    World economy. Australia was also ranked the 21st largest importer and 23rd largest

    exporter.

    Australia has also entered into free trade agreements with ASEAN, Chile, New Zealand,

    Singapore, Thailand, and the United States[10]. The ANZCERTA agreement with New Zealand

    has greatly increased integration with the New Zealand economy.

    The Australian economy is dominated by its service sector, representing 68% of Australian

    GDP. The agricultural and mining sectors (10% of GDP combined) account for 57% of the

    nation's exports.

    The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia and its territories,

    including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. It is also the official

    currency of the independent Pacific Island nations of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu.

    The Australian Securities Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Australia.

    Australia's per-capita GDP is slightly lower than that of the UK, Germany, and France in terms

    of purchasing power parity. The country was ranked second in the United Nations 2009

    Human Development Index and sixth in The Economistworldwide quality-of-life index 2005.

    The emphasis on exporting commodities rather than manufactures has underpinned a

    significant increase in Australia's terms of trade during the rise in commodity prices since

    2000. Australia's current account is more than 7% of GDP negative: Australia has had

    persistently large current account deficits for more than 50 years. Australia has grown at an

    average annual rate of 3.6% for over 15 years, well above the OECD average of 2.5%.

    Australia's average GDP growth rate for the period 1901-2000 is at 3.4% annually.

    Australia is ranked third in the Index of Economic Freedom (2010), Australia's per capita GDP

    is slightly higher than that of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France. The

    country was ranked second in the United Nations 2009 Human Development Index.

    Australia ranks third highest as an OECD countries as far as percentage of investment as to

    GDP. The Reserve Bank of Australia has created a direct link between expenditure and

    Australia's strong productivity growth. The growth of e-commerce is supposed to add an

    additional 2.7 percent to Australia's GDP total within the next ten years.

    As of December 2009, there were approximately 10,844,000 people employed, with an

    unemployment rate of 5.5%. Over the past decade, inflation has typically been 23% and the

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    base interest rate 56%. The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education and

    financial services, constitutes 69% of GDP.

    Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, South Korea, India and the USA.

    Economic liberalisation

    From the early 1980s onwards, the Australian economy has undergone a continuing economic

    liberalisation. In 1983, under Prime Minister Bob Hawke, but mainly driven by Treasurer Paul

    Keating, the Australian dollar was floated and financial deregulation was undertaken.

    In 2000, the introduction of a goods and services tax (GST) sought to encourage the level of

    saving amongst lower income earners. To combat the consequential reduction in

    consumption for low income earners, income taxes were lowered as a trade-off for the

    introduction of the GST. The overall level of taxation in Australia has since been consistently

    reduced to encourage private consumption and investment, as opposed to higher

    government expenditure.

    TAXATION

    Taxation in Australia is levied at the federal, state and local government levels. T axes vary

    from state to state due to their different needs, populations, economics and budgetary

    positions.

    The Commonwealth raises revenue from personal income taxes and business taxes. Other

    taxes include the goods and services tax (GST), excise and customs duties. The

    Commonwealth is the main source of income for state governments. As a result of statedependence on federal taxation revenue to meet decentralised expenditure responsibilities,

    Australia is said to suffer from a vertical fiscal imbalance.

    BALANCE OF PAYMENTS

    In trade terms, the Australian economy has had persistently large current account deficits for

    more than 50 years. One single factor that undermines balance of payments is Australia's

    narrow export base.

    Dependent upon commodities, the Australian government has endeavoured to redevelop the

    Australian manufacturing sector. This initiative, also known as microeconomic reform, has

    helped Australian manufacturing to grow from 10.1% in 1983 -1984 to 17.8% in 2003 -2004.

    There are other factors that have contributed to the extremely high current account deficit

    that Australia has today. Lack of international competitiveness and heavy reliance on capital

    goods from overseas might increase Australia's current account deficit in the future.

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    CURRENT AREAS OF CONCERN

    Current areas of concern to some economists include Australia's large current account deficit,

    Australias current account deficit for the 2007 - 2008 financial year was up 4% to $19.49

    billion (according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics), the absence of a successful export -

    oriented manufacturing industry, an Australian property bubble, and high levels of net foreign

    debt owed by the private sector. Professor Steve Keen has written extensively about

    consumer/household indebtedness and the level of home prices relative to income. While

    there is some talk about increasing levels of government debt as a result of increased federal

    government deficit caused by falling tax revenues and stimulus during 2008 and proposed to

    continue through 2010, Australia has one of the lowest levels of government debt as a

    proportion of GDP among developed countries, largely as a result of the debt repayment

    program pursued by then Treasurer Peter Costello and the then Howard government. The

    coal, electricity generation and agricultural industries have concerns about the impact of

    requirements to reduce carbon emissions under the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction

    Scheme -- Which, partly in response, has been shelved until 2012. The price of housing in

    terms of median incomes has been highlighted by a recent Demographia survey with

    Australian capital city residential housing being among the most expensive in the world. A

    long drought and its impacts on retail food costs and export volumes of crops and meat and

    the possible impacts of climate change on agriculture has also been of concern.

    Many countries have chosen to invest in Australia in recent years, due to its incredibly stable

    economic, political, and social environments. Because of the large amount of diversification in

    Australia's export base recently, Australia has expanded from being merely a commodity

    exporter to having sophisticated manufacturing and service industries. These both attract

    investors, thereby increasing global trade. Australia is one of the most open and innovative

    economies in the world; the government of Australia is quite committed to maintaining this

    achieved goal. Strong economic growth over the last ten years or so have been accompanied

    by low inflation and low interest rates as well as a strong productivity performance. In th e

    years 2002-2003, the Australian economy performed very well; in contrast with weaker global

    conditions, Australia recorded a 2.7% growth, making it one of the strongest in the developed

    world. Growth in the future is imminent

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    BriefProfileofAustralian Trade

    Australia

    has a diverse export base and is a major exporter of food, resources, fuels and education. In2008, Australias two-way trade totalled $561 billion, up from $456 billion in 2007. Japan,

    China, the United States and Singapore were the nations top four trading partners in 2008.

    About 70 per cent of Australias trade was with the member economies of the Asia -Pacific

    Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Australia is an active and successful global trader of

    goods and services.

    Australias Trade Performance

    Australian exports of goods and services grew 27.6 per cent in 2008, to $278 billion. The

    strong growth was led by resources exports which were in very high demand, reaching $121.2

    billion. Education services exports rose 23 per cent to $15.5 billion and around two -thirds of

    Australias farm production was exported. Imports increased 18.9 per cent to $283 billion.

    Strong consumer demand, high oil prices and imports of capital goods by business contributed

    to this growth in the first nine months of the year. The fall in the value of the Australian dollar

    from a peak of 97 US cents in July 2008 to below 70 US cents at the end of the year also

    increased the value (in Australian dollar terms) of imports priced in foreign currencies.

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    AUSTRALIA AND THE WTO

    Australia became a member of the WTO on January 1, 1995. The World Trade Organization

    has benefited Australia in a lot of ways since its entrance to the group. In turn, Australia has

    contributed a lot to countries and affairs all around the world since its admission to the World

    Trade Organization clan. They have really done their part to help other countries as much as

    they possibly can. Trade has been taking place between Australia and other prestigious

    countries around the world for many years now.

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    Agricultureand the WTO

    Agriculture is an important part of the Australian economy. Australia is a competitive net

    agricultural exporter, with around two thirds of total production being exported. Over the last

    ten years, exports of agricultural goods, including processed food and beverages, have grown

    and in 2006 Australia accounted for 2.3% of all global agricultural exports. In 2006 -07,

    agricultural products, including processed food and beverages, accounted for 16.1% of

    Australian merchandise exports.

    Value of Australia's top agricultural exports 2009 (calendar year)

    Major agriculture export products CY2009A$m

    Share ofRank

    Total

    Total Agriculture (excluding fish, forestry and

    rubber)a

    27,985 100.0%

    Beef 4,764 1 17.0%

    Wheat 4,756 2 17.0%

    Wine 2,297 3 8.2%

    Wool 1,809 4 6.5%

    Lamb and mutton 1,455 5 5.2%

    Animal feed 1,234 6 4.4%

    Live animals 1,152 7 4.1%Milk and cream 940 8 3.4%

    Barleyb 766 9 2.7%

    Hides and skind (excl furskins) raw 764 10 2.7%

    Fruit and nuts fresh or dried (not incl oil nuts) 763 11 2.7%

    Vegetables, fresh or frozen 702 12 2.5%

    Cheese and curd 701 13 2.5%

    Canola 678 14 2.4%

    Sugara 664 15 2.4%

    Edible products and preparations 565 16 2.0%

    Cotton 537 17 1.9%

    Cereal preparations 498 18 1.8%

    Malt 412 19 1.5%

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    Value of Australia's top agricultural exports 2009 (calendar year)

    Major agriculture export products CY2009A$m

    Share ofRank

    Total

    Animal fats and oils 272 20 1.0%

    aDeficient the confidential sugar component July -December 2009

    bDeficient the confidential barley component September -December 2009

    Australia's major exports of agriculture by destination 2009 (calendar

    year)

    Major agriculture export markets CY2009 A$m Rank Share of Total

    Total All countriesa 27,985 100.0%

    Japan 4,271 1 15.3%

    China 3,122 2 11.2%

    United States 2,670 3 9.5%

    Indonesia 1,931 4 6.9%

    Republic of Korea 1,440 5 5.1%

    New Zealand 1,402 6 5.0%

    United Kingdom 910 7 3.3%

    Malaysia 774 8 2.8%

    Singapore 699 9 2.5%

    Taiwan 590 10 2.1%

    Hong Kong (SAR of China) 574 11 2.0%

    Thailand 570 12 2.0%

    Saudi Arabia 561 13 2.0%

    United Arab Emirates 526 14 1.9%

    Vietnam 483 15 1.7%a

    Deficient the confidential sugar component July-December 2009.Note: the country totals exclude any confidential items.Sources: DFAT STARS database consistent with ABS catalogue 5368.0, Feb 2010; ABS special data service for sugar.

    Australia provides competitive agricultural produce to world markets without the high levels

    of financial support, protection and other trade -distorting practices used by many other

    countries to prop up their agricultural sectors.

    Australia is on of the worlds most efficient a gricultural producers, as indicated by the

    Producer Subsidy Estimate (PSE) produced by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and

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    Development (OECD). The PSE estimates the percentage of farm income arising from

    government support. Australias PSE for 2005-2007 was only 6%, the second lowest among

    OECD countries after New Zealand. In contrast, the 2005 -2007 PSEs showed the highest levels

    of assistance in three of the highest per capita GDP economies in the world: Norway (62%),

    Switzerland (60%) and Japan (50%). This means that farmers in Norway and Switzerland

    received nearly two-thirds of their income from government support, and Japanese farmers

    received over half their income from government support. The average PSE for other OECD

    countries for the same period was 26%.

    World Agricultural Markets unfair and distorted

    Globally, agricultural trade is the most distorted sector of trade in goods. It is characterised by

    very high tariffs and high levels of government support to primary producers.

    Average tariffs for agricultural goods are more than 3 times higher than for non-agricultural

    goods some agricultural tariffs are as high as 800%.

    In no other area does domestic support distort international markets to the extent that it

    does in agriculture, with over US$268 billion in 2006 provided in support and protection for

    agriculture by rich developed countries worldwide.

    Export subsidies, the most trade-distorting form of subsidies, are tolerated in the agricultural

    sector in contrast to other sectors, such as manufacturing, where they have long since

    been prohibited.

    Australia has reduced its own tariff levels on agricultural and food products since the early

    1970s through a series of across-the-board measures and as the result of inquiries intoparticular industries and commodities. General tariffs have been phased down to 5% and

    assistance to import-competing industries has been substantial reduced.

    Millions of farmers around the world, including in developing countries, are unfairly

    disadvantaged in the world market. Agricultural subsidies in many developed countries

    generate excess production, which puts downward pressure on international markets. In

    particular, the reduction of long-standing distortions to global agricultural production and

    trade is critical to achieving food security in developing countries.

    The Australian Government is working hard through the WTO to make global agricultural

    trade fairer.

    World Trade Organization (WTO) and Agriculture

    The WTO, which was established in 1995, is the successor organisation to the General

    Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). For most of the post-war period, agricultural products

    were largely excluded from the multilateral trade liberalisation which took place during GATT

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    negotiations. In the early 1980s, it was widely acknowledged that agriculture had become the

    most heavily protected and distorted sector in the world economy, with consequent

    substantial negative effects on international trade and particul arly on those developing

    countries that are heavily reliant on agriculture for their economic development. Reform of

    the global rules covering agricultural trade began with the Uruguay Round of GATT

    negotiations that concluded in 1996. The Uruguay Round Ag reement on Agriculture provided

    for increased market access through tariff cuts (over six years for developed countries and ten

    years for developing countries), for the conversion of non -tariff measures to more transparent

    tariff protection, and for a prog ressive reduction in export subsidies and trade -distorting

    domestic support measures.

    Agriculture in the Doha Round

    As the most heavily protected sector in world trade, agricultural reform stands to deliver the

    greatest development benefits. Rules and dis ciplines in the WTO for agriculture are less

    developed than for industrial products. WTO members agreed to launch the current roundof WTO negotiations in November 2001, in Doha, Qatar. The Doha mandate on agriculture

    calls for ambitious reform. Members agreed to achieve substantial improvements in market

    access; reductions of, with view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies; and substantial

    reductions in trade-distorting domestic support.

    The July 2004 Framework Agreement included a ground-breaking commitment to eliminate

    agricultural export subsidies. It also outlined a broad structure for reductions in trade

    distorting domestic support.

    However, the July 2004 Framework provided less guidance on how to address the critical issue

    of market access. Two important market access principles were agreed: that higher tariffs be

    subject to deeper cuts; and an agreed number of sensitive tariffs could be subject to lesser

    tariff cuts so long as the tariff rate quotas associated with those quotas were expan ded.

    The Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting in 2005 saw further progress and was followed by a

    period of intense work leading to the release of draft negotiating texts from July 2007.

    Discussions and subsequent revisions of this text continued throughout the re st of 2007 and

    to mid 2008. The July 2008 Package reflected the considerable progress that has been made

    by the WTOs 153 Members over the last years.

    The meeting of WTO Ministers in Geneva 21-29 July was the largest WTO Ministerial Meeting

    since 2005. Convergence had been reached in nearly all outstanding issues before the talks

    failed to reach agreement over a handful of elements in the package in particular, the

    Special Safeguards Mechanism (SSM) for developing countries. Despite this setback, the

    meaningful gains that had been negotiated remain on the table and ongoing negotiations

    have further refined the overall package. Australia remains committed to resolve the SSM

    issue and will work closely with other members to find a solution.

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    The Cairns Group coalition of 19 agricultural fair traders, chaired by Australia, played an

    instrumental role in framing the Doha mandate and subsequent WTO negotiations seeking

    agricultural reform. A diverse coalition bringing together developed and developing countries

    from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, the Cairns Group has been an influential

    voice in the agricultural reform debate since its formation in 1986.

    The Australian Government is also working to achieve freer and fairer agricultural trade

    through the negotiation of WTO-consistent Free Trade Agreements (FTA).

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    Non-Agricultural Market Access

    (Industrial Products)

    In the WTO context, non-agricultural products include forestry, fish, minerals and energyproducts, as well as other industrial products. The Doha mandate on non -agricultural market

    access (NAMA) provides for negotiations aimed at reducing or eliminating non -agricultural

    tariffs, including tariff peaks and tariff escalation. All non -agricultural products are covered by

    the negotiations, with no exclusions. The negotiations are to take into account the needs and

    interests of developing countries, including throu gh the principle of less than full reciprocity

    in tariff reduction commitments. The mandate also provides that special consideration is to be

    given to market access for environmental goods.

    NAMA negotiations are being handled by the Negotiating Group on Market Access.

    Negotiations have focused particularly on the development of a general tariff reductionformula. The Framework Package of July 2004 specified that Members should work on a

    non-linear (or harmonising) formula for tariff reductions, in order to cut high tariffs by more

    than low tariffs, thereby better addressing high tariffs and tariff peaks as required under the

    Doha mandate. Negotiations on the detail of this formula continue.

    The Framework Package also allows the formula to be supplemented by sectoral initiatives,

    aimed at the elimination or harmonisation of tariffs in particular product sectors, particularly

    on products of export interest to developing countries. Discussions of specific proposals are

    taking place in informal Member-driven processes, based on a critical mass approach,

    meaning that any proposal must attract a critical mass of Member support before beingimplemented.

    The Doha mandate also addresses non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade in non-agricultural

    products. NTBs are measures, other than tariffs, which affect trade in some way; common

    examples are import licensing restrictions, labelling requirements and product testing

    standards. Many NTBs serve legitimate purposes, but others are unnecessary burdens on

    trade. Numerous proposals to reduce non-tariff barriers, either generally or in specific sectors,

    have been made in the negotiations, and any proposals able to attract a consensus of support

    will be incorporated into the final NAMA outcome.

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    Theimportanceofservices trade to

    Australia

    Australia is a world-class provider of a range of services, such as telecommunications, travel,banking and insurance. Services exports play a significant role in our economy and represent

    71 per cent of Australia's gross domestic produc t (GDP) and employ four out of five

    Australians.

    Services also play an increasingly important role in our international trade, with services

    exports growing over the last five years by an average of 6.1 per cent. In 2007 Australias

    services exports outperformed this average, increasing by 9.4 per cent to $48 billion (22 per

    cent of a record total exports of $218 billion). Services imports were valued at $46 billion.

    There are multiple ways (called "modes" in the World Trade Organization) for services to be

    delivered in international trade:

    1. Cross-border supply: where a service is supplied from one country to another, for

    example, an international phone call uses telecommunications services in both the

    caller's and the receiver's countries.

    2. Consumption abroad: where consumers from one country purchase a service in

    another country. The best examples of this mode are education and tourism services.

    3. Commercial presence: where a company from one country establishes a subsidiary,

    branch or office and provides a service in another country.

    4. Movement of natural persons: where individuals travel to another country to provide

    a service, such as a business consultant undertaking an IT contract overseas.

    The composition of Australian trade in services

    Australias services exports have broadened recently, reflecting strong growth in education,

    professional and other services.

    In 2007, our six largest services exports were:

    1. Education - $12.2 billion

    2. Tourism - $11.8 billion

    3. Financial and insurance services - $1.7 billion

    4. Computer and information services - $1.5 billion

    5. Architecture and engineering services - $1.5 billion

    6. Legal, accounting and management consultancy services - $1.1 billion

    7. Agricultural and on-site mining services - $379 million

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    Australian experience and skills in environmental services such as waste-water treatment,

    recycling, energy efficiency and pollution prevention present promising future services export

    prospects.

    Negotiations to improve conditions for global services trade are an important part of the

    World Trade Organisations Doha Round. Given the importance of this sector to the Australianeconomy, Australia takes a leading role in the negotiations. Australia also promotes improved

    services exports through APEC and the negotiation of comprehensive Free T rade Agreements.

    Services trade and theWTO

    Trade in services is an increasingly important part of global trade and in coming years, the

    services sector is likely to be the most strongly growing sector in global trade. Developing and

    developed countries alike have recognised that efficient services industries are central to

    vibrant and resilient economies, making the World Trade Organization's (WTO) current Doha

    Round of negotiations an important opportunity to increase prospects for economic growth.

    Why is it important to open services markets?

    Services play a major role in all modern economies. Indeed, it would be difficult for any

    economic activity to take place without services such as telecommunications, banking and

    freight logistics. Services trade accounts for 40-50% of GDP for developing countries and

    around 80% for developed countries.

    An efficient services sector is critical to trade and economic growth

    Encouraging greater trade in services through open markets and non-discriminatorytreatment can lead to higher employment levels, higher incomes and higher standards of

    living.

    The opening of certain sectors to competition provides consumers with access to a broader

    range of services and a greater depth of expertise from here at home and overseas. Fre er

    trade also encourages local providers to be more innovative and efficient in delivering

    competitive services.

    How is trade in services regulated?

    The rules for international trade in services are set by members of the WTO and are contained

    in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Under the Agreement, individual WTO

    members make specific undertakings on the degree of access foreign service providers will

    enjoy in their market, and whether they are treated differently than local service provid ers.

    The GATS is different to other WTO Agreements, in that there is not one rule to which all

    Members must adhere. Under GATS, each WTO member makes their own individual

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    commitments on opening up their markets to competition from foreign service suppliers . The

    Australian Government, like other WTO members, retains the right to regulate and fund

    public services, such as water supply, public health and public education.

    Negotiations on individual services commitments are conducted on a request -offer basis,

    whereby a WTO member requests better access to a particular services sector in anotherWTO member's economy. This is followed by an offer to grant all, some or none of the

    additional access requested. The process upholds the voluntary nature of GATS commit ments,

    whereby each member is entitled to decide their own levels and sectors of liberalisation. An

    important element of the process is that any offer made is non-binding and can be amended

    or withdrawn at any time during the negotiations.

    Since 2006, WTO members have also been pursuing sectoral plurilateral initiatives, whereby a

    number of WTO members with similar sectoral interests approach, as a group, one or more

    other members from whom they are seeking higher commitments. Australia is a co-sponsor

    of 12 sectoral requests: air transport, architecture/engineering/integrated engineering,computer and related services, construction, education, energy, environmental, financial,

    logistics, legal, maritime transport and telecommunications services. Australia is a recipient of

    sectoral plurilateral requests in eight sectors, most notably audio-visual and Mode 4.

    The importance of services to global trade

    Services are an important driver of growth, especially in developing countries. Developing

    countries are increasingly aware that efficient services industries, supported by good

    domestic regulatory systems, are an integral part of economic growth. Services sectors

    already make major contributions to the GDP of many developing countries. Services trade,

    such as tourism, is also an important income source in the economies of the 50 least

    developed countries (LDCs).

    The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found that the

    potential gains for developing countries from services liberalisation are five times the

    potential gains from goods liberalisation.

    While overall services trade is currently dominated by developed countries, developing

    countries have considerable expertise in a number of fields, such as port and shipping servi ces

    and construction services. With their lower labour costs, developing countries have a

    comparative advantage in many of the more labour-intensive services.

    Services negotiations in the Doha Round offer important opportunities for developing

    countries. By opening their own services industries to foreign suppliers, they are able to

    increase the efficiency of their economy. This is especially important in sectors such as freight

    logistics, power and financial services, which are all critical to inducing gre ater foreign

    investment, and economic growth. Developing countries also benefit from the market access

    commitments made by other WTO members.

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    Intellectual Property and International

    Trade

    Intellectual property includes patents, trade marks, copyright and r elated rights, geographicalindications, industrial designs, know -how and trade secrets. Intellectual property is an integral

    part of international trade, and its importance is increasing as the effective use of knowledge

    contributes ever more to national economic prosperity. The current value of intellectual

    property in Australia is over $30 billion.

    As a trading nation with a strong research tradition and a need for access to new

    technologies, Australia has interests in the agreed international standards on the protection

    and exploitation of intellectual property rights.

    Consequently, Australia protects those interests, notably in its work within the World Trade

    Organization (WTO) to promote the effective and balanced implementation and development

    of the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

    The Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

    (DFAT) is responsible for the overall coordination of Australia's engagement with the WTO.

    Within OTN, the International Intellectual Property Section (IPS) has particular responsibility

    for intellectual property issues

    WTO and TRIPS

    The World Trade Organization was established in 1995 at the conclusion of the UruguayRound of multilateral trade negotiations, building on the earlier General Agreement on Tariffs

    and Trade system. The WTO, under the direction of its Member economies, administ ers a

    wide-ranging system of rules for international trade, aimed at liberalising and expanding trade

    under agreed and enforceable rules for reciprocal benefit. This system has led to significant

    benefits for Australian exporters, yielding improved market access and lower tariffs in many

    sectors..

    What does TRIPS do?

    TRIPS is intended to maximise the contribution of intellectual property systems to economicgrowth through trade and investment by:

    establishing minimum standards for intellectual property righ ts protection in the

    national systems of WTO members

    prescribing agreed elements of an effective mechanism for administration and

    enforcement of intellectual property rights

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    creating a transparency mechanism - each WTO member is required to provide details

    of their national intellectual property laws and systems, and to answer questions

    about their intellectual property systems

    creating a predictable, rules-based system for the settlement of disputes about trade-

    related intellectual property issues between WTO members

    allowing for mechanisms that ensure that national intellectual property systems

    support widely accepted public policy objectives, such as stamping out unfair

    competition, facilitating transfer of technology, and promoting environmental

    protection

    TRIPS andWTO dispute settlement

    TRIPS established a binding, transparent and rules based dispute settlement mechanism. The

    WTO Understanding on the Rules and Procedures Governing the S ettlement of

    Disputes enforces the commitments made by WTO Members under TRIPS. The availability of a

    binding dispute settlement mechanism to enforce obligations under TRIPS helps to ensurethat Australian exporters can continue to expand and diversify tra ding opportunities in

    intellectual property and value-added products.

    DFAT's WTO Trade Law Branch has responsibility for managing and advising on all WTO

    Disputes.

    Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC)

    The APEC Intellectual Property Experts' Group (IPEG) , formed in 1995 under the auspices of

    APEC's Committee for Trade and Investment, plays a valuable supporting role in promoting

    efficient, TRIPS-consistent intellectual property protection among our APEC trading partners.

    Part of the TRIPS package is an undertaking by member economies to provide technical

    assistance for the implementation of TRIPS. Australia has supported the development of

    TRIPS-consistent intellectual property systems in developing countries in our region.

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    Trade Remedies

    Trade remedies are trade policy tools that allow governments to take remedial action against

    imports which are causing material injury to a domestic industry. Such remedies are divided

    broadly into:

    anti-dumping action;

    countervailing duty measures; and

    safeguard action.

    These remedies are triggered in response to different situations and circumstances which may

    be causing material injury to a domestic industry. Recourse to these tools is initiated by the

    domestic industry. The following outlines the relevant WTO rules and also provides a short

    summary of the circumstances which give rise to recourse to such remedies and the

    procedures for activating their use.

    Anti-dumping and theWTO Anti-Dumping Agreement

    Article VI of GATT 1994, elaborated by the WTO Anti -Dumping Agreement, allows countries to

    take action against imports from countries allegedly exporting at dumped prices. Anti -

    dumping action is undertaken in response to an application from industry concerning injurious

    dumped imports.

    An exporting company is said to be "dumping when it exports its product at a price lower

    than its normal value (that is, the price at which that product is sold on the domestic market

    in the exporting country). When dumping causes or threatens to cause material injury to a

    domestic industry, remedial action may be taken.

    In Australia, anti-dumping investigations are conducted by the Australian Customs Service.

    Countervailing Measures, Subsidies and theWTO Subsidies Agreement

    The WTO Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement (the Subsidies Agreement)

    disciplines the use of subsidies, which are generally permissible under GAT T 1994 and the

    WTO Agreements.

    The Subsidies Agreement also regulates the actions countries can take to counter the trade

    effects of subsidies. A country may remedy the trade effects of a subsidy multilaterally

    through dispute-settlement procedures and thereby seek the withdrawal of the subsidy or the

    removal of its adverse effects. Alternatively, a country may unilaterally launch its own

    investigation (known as a countervailing duty investigation) whereby an extra duty

    (countervailing duty) may be imposed on subsidized imports to offset the injury to domestic

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    producers. Where industry faces material injury from subsidised imports, industry may lodge

    an application for the initiation of a countervailing investigation.

    In Australia, countervailing duty investigations are conducted by the Australian Customs

    Service.

    Safeguards

    Safeguard action is emergency action. Emergency safeguard action may be taken where a

    surge of imports causes or threatens to cause, serious material injury to a domestic industry.

    It allows a country to respond to unexpected and unforeseen increased imports which have

    caused serious material injury. Imports must be recent enough, sudden enough, sharp enou gh

    and significant enough.

    Where the reasons for injury are not limited to increased imports, these other factors must be

    distinguished. That is, the impact of other factors cannot be attributed to the impact of

    increased imports.

    Safeguard action may involve the restriction of imports of a product temporarily to help the

    domestic industry adjust. Safeguard measures are applied on a global basis and may take the

    form of tariffs, tariff rate quotas, or quantitative restrictions (import quotas). These measure s

    must be temporary, product-specific and they must be applied to all imports irrespective of

    the source.

    Safeguard action can only be imposed after a full inquiry by a competent authority, which is

    the Productivity Commission in Australia. Australian industry wishing to activate Australias

    safeguard procedures should contact the relevant portfolio Minister responsible for theproduct involved. Positive evidence that unforeseen or unexpected surges in imports are

    causing serious injury to the industry needs to be provided for the Australian Governments

    consideration. Such evidence may have been investigated or researched by the affected

    domestic industry or the government agency as a result of ongoing concerns expressed b y the

    affected domestic industry.

    If the Australian Government decides to initiate a safeguard investigation, a reference is sent

    to the Productivity Commission by the Treasurer possibly also asking for an early report on

    the issue of provisional safeguards which are allowed under WTO rules only in special

    circumstances.

    Public notice of the initiation of a safeguard investigation is given by the Productivity

    Commission and the investigation would involve public hearings or other appropriate means

    to enable importers, exporters and other interested parties to present evidence and their

    views. Under WTO rules, Australia is also required to notify immediately the WTO and

    affected countries of the initiation of a safeguard investigation and its outcome. The WT O

    Safeguards Committee has agreed on notification formats and standards Bilateral free trade

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    agreements (such as, for example, the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement) may also

    have additional safeguard processes covering preferential trade where the injury caused by

    increased imports is due to the tariff reductions under the particular FTA. These safeguards

    are referred to as transitional safeguards or bilateral safeguards and are not global

    safeguards. The process for Government consideration of bilateral safeguards is essentially

    the same as for WTO safeguards as described above.

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    WTO Rules

    At the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference, held in Doha in November 2001, WTO Members

    agreed to negotiations dealing with WTO rules on four specific issues: a nti-dumping, subsidies

    and countervailing measures, fisheries subsidies, and regional trade agreements.

    Anti-Dumping, Subsidies and Countervailing measures

    The Doha Ministerial Conference agreed to negotiations aimed at clarifying and improving

    disciplines under the Agreements on Anti-dumping and on Subsidies and Countervailing

    Measures, while preserving the basic concepts, principles and effectiveness of the

    Agreements. The mandate in paragraph 28 of the Doha Declaration calls for a two-phased

    process. The first phase was essentially exploratory. The second phase was to seek to clarify

    and improve the provisions, including disciplines on trade -distorting practices. During these

    phases, WTO Members submitted an extensive range of proposals with more than 150proposals submitted on anti-dumping.

    Fisheries subsidies

    The mandate for the fisheries subsidies negotiations is to clarify and improve WTO disciplines,

    taking into account the importance of this sector to developing countries. The negotiations

    are also to enhance the mutual supportiveness of trade and environment and seek to develop

    new WTO rules to prohibit subsidies specific to the fishing sector.

    Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration of December 2005 noted that there is broad agreement

    that disciplines on fisheries subsidies should be strengthened and that certain forms of

    fisheries subsidies that contribute to over capacity and over fishing be prohibited. The

    Ministerial Declaration called on WTO Members to promptly undertake further detailed work

    to,inter alia, establish the nature and extent of disciplines on subsidies in the fisheries sector,

    including transparency and enforceability. The Declaration also noted that special and

    differential treatment for developing and least -developed Members should be an integral part

    of these negotiations.

    Proposals have been divided between those preferring a broad -based prohibition with limited

    exceptions and others favouring limited, specific prohibitions. The Chair issued his draft text

    on fisheries subsidies on 30 November 2007.

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    Singaporeissues: Trade Facilitation

    At Doha, it was agreed that a decision on how to proceed with the four Singapore issues of investment, competition

    policy, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation, would be made at the time of the fifth

    Ministerial Conference, subsequently held in Cancn, Mexico in September 2003. Following the breakdown of the

    trade talks in Cancn, mainly over some Members' resistance to the Singapore issues, it was decided (at the July2004 General Council Meeting) that negotiations would proceed only on trade facilitation, with the remaining issues

    being referred to the WTO's working groups, but outside the Doha Round of negotiations.

    Trade facilitation

    Trade facilitation refers to the simplification and harmonisation of international trade procedures

    to assist the movement of goods. For example, customs, licensing and transit formalities are

    all areas which involve complicated administrative processes and burdensome documentation

    requirements. Businesses currently suffer significant losses as the result of these

    complicated, and sometimes unnecessary, procedures. In recognition of the costs imposed on

    business because of 'red tape', trade facilitation was added to the WTO agenda in December

    1996. Actual negotiations on trade faciltiation were finally launched in 2004.

    Annex D of the General Council Decision of 31 July 2004 (the Framework Package) provides

    the modalities for the negotiations on trade facilitation, aimed at improving the efficiency of

    the global movement of goods, for example through improved and streamlined customs and

    border control procedures. This will be achieved by "clarifying and improving" relevant

    aspects of Articles V (goods in transit), VIII (fees and formalities) and X (publi cation and

    administration of trade regulations) of the GATT 1994.

    Annex D also recognises the particular difficulties faced by developing countries in having thefinancial and technical capacity to undertake such improvements and includes commitment

    by developed country members to provide technical assistance and support for capacity

    building. This includes support for developing and least -developed countries to participate

    effectively in the negotiations themselves. The extent and timing of commitments by

    developing and least-developed countries is to be linked to their implementation capacity.

    The negotiations have made good progress, and WTO Members have so far submitted some

    50 proposals covering all aspects of the mandate. The Ministerial Declaration fr om the 6th

    WTO Ministerial Conference held in Hong Kong in December 2005 lays down clear markers for

    the path ahead in the trade facilitation negotiations. WTO Members endorsed moving to text -based negotiations with a view to concluding binding commitments on trade facilitation as

    part of the Doha Round outcome. Special and differential treatment and provision of technical

    assistance and capacity building for developing and least-developed countries were

    highlighted as key elements of the negotiations.

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    The World Trade Organization (WTO) &

    Free Trade Agreements

    A key rule of the multilateral trade system is that reductions in trade barriers should beapplied, on a most-favoured nation basis, to all WTO members. This means no WTO member

    should be discriminated against by another member's trade regime. However, regional trade

    agreements (RTAs) are an important exception to this rule. Under RTAs reductions in trade

    barriers apply only to parties to the agreement. This exception is allowed under Article XXIV of

    the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) for trade in goods, in Article V of the

    General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) for Trade in Services and in the Enabling

    Clause.

    There are two major types of regional trade agreements under the WTO - customs unions and

    free trade areas. Some countries may also sign interim agreements, which operate during atransition period, ultimately leading to the creation of a customs union or a free trade area.

    RTAs must be consistent with the WTO rules governin g such agreements, which require that

    parties to a regional trade agreement must have established free trade on substantially all

    goods within the regional area within ten years, and that the parties cannot raise their tariffs

    against countries outside the agreement. Compliance with the WTO rules is important to

    ensuring an agreement is beneficial to all parties in the multilateral system.

    Regional Trade Agreements and the Doha Round of negotiations Rules

    Negotiations for RTAs

    WTO members have agreed that some of the existing WTO rules governing RTAs need

    clarification. This lack of clarity has hindered the work of the Committee on Regional Trade

    Agreements (CRTA) in considering individual RTAs against these rules.

    At their meeting in Doha in 2001, WTO Min isters agreed "to negotiations aimed at clarifying

    and improving disciplines and procedures under the existing WTO provisions applying to

    regional trade agreements".

    The other key issue in the RTA rules negotiations relates to improved procedures for the

    examination of RTAs. WTO members formally adopted a new Transparency Mechanismfor RTAson 14 December 2006. The mechanism establishes a standardised review process for all RTAs.

    Committee on Regional Trade Agreements

    The Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) was established following the Uruguay Round of

    negotiations to monitor the consistency of RTAs with the WTO Rules. The CRTA plays an

    important role in ensuring regional agreements do not undermine the multilateral system.

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    WTO members are required to notify regional trade agreements to the CRTA. The adoption of

    the Transparency Mechanism in December 2006 has improved the notification procedures and

    examination of all RTAs including those between developing countries.

    Once an agreement has been notified to the WTO, the WTO Secretariat prepares a detailed

    analysis of the RTA (called a factual presentation) which is used by other WTO members toexamine and scrutinise the agreement against WTO rules.

    The Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Australia-United States Free Trade

    Agreement were among the first agreements to be examined under the Transparency

    Mechanism following its introduction in 2007. WTO members have welcomed the increased

    information provided by the factual presentations and the opportunity to question parties to

    the RTA.

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    WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism

    The trade policies and practices of all World Trade Organization (WTO) Members are reviewed

    regularly, under the auspices of the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). The TPRM

    was provisionally established at the Montreal Mid-Term Review of the Round in December

    1988. Article III of the Marrakesh Agreement, agreed by Ministers in April 1994, placed the

    TPRM on a permanent footing as one of the WTOs basic functions and, with the entry into

    force of the WTO in 1995, the mandate of the TPRM was broadened to cover services trade

    and intellectual property.

    The objective of the TPRM is to contribute to improved adherence by all Members to WTO

    rules, disciplines and commitments. The TPRM promotes transparency in trade policy making.

    It provides a forum for Members to openly discuss and provide objective analysis of each

    others trade policies and practices. Reviews take into account the Members wider economic

    and developmental needs, policies and objectives as well as the external trading environment.They are not intended to serve as a basis for the enforcement of WTO obligations, for WTO

    dispute settlement procedures, or to impose new trade policy commitments.

    The frequency of the reviews depends on the Members sha re in world trade. The four largest

    traders (the European Communities, the United States, China and Japan) are reviewed every

    two years; the next 16 largest traders (including Australia) every four years; and the remaining

    Members every six years, with a longer interval for least-developed countries. By the end of

    2008, a total of 264 reviews had been conducted, covering 135 Members.

    The review process includes:

    a detailed report on the Member under reviews trade policies and practices prepared

    by the WTO Secretariat;

    a report by the government of the Member under review;

    a written question and answer process, whereby the Member under review must

    respond to detailed questions from other Members regarding its trade policies and

    practices; and

    a formal meeting in Geneva of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB).

    All review documents, including the WTO press release, minutes of the meeting, questions

    and answers by Members and review reports (both by the Member under review and the

    Secretariat), are made available on the WTO website shortly after the formal meeting of the

    TPRB (refer link below).

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    WTO accessions and how Australia

    stands to benefit

    Market Access

    Market access is a very important aspect of WTO accession. The WTO membership expects

    new Members to make binding commitments on tariffs and services that provide security of

    existing access and appropriate liberalisation. These commitments are determined by

    separate bilateral negotiations. The results of the market access negotiations are extended to

    all WTO Members through the application of the MFN principle (most favoured nation).

    Applicants are expected to give commitments that broadly match the liberalisation to which

    existing Members have committed over the life of the GATT and WTO and, for this re ason, the

    negotiations are non-reciprocal. However, the overall level of commitment expected also

    depends on the applicants level of economic development.

    Through these market access negotiations, Australia has negotiated secure access and

    liberalisation for a very wide range of products of interest to Australian industry. Market gains

    have been made for live animals, meat, offals, seafood, dairy products, fruit, vegetables,

    legumes, grains, flour, oilseeds, animal feed, animal fats, vegetable oils, sugar, processed

    foods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, minerals, chemicals, medicaments, chemical

    preparations, hides and skins, leather, textile fibres (including wool and cotton), textile yarns

    and fabrics, metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), precious metals and stones, machinery

    (including electrical), motor vehicles (including components, parts and accessories) and

    scientific, technical and medical equipment, as well as in other areas.

    Australia has also negotiated improved access for exporters of services such as legal, banking,

    insurance, accountancy, architectural, engineering, computing, telecommunications,

    construction, distribution, education, environmental and transport, including through

    deregulation of restrictions on the scope of business opera tions and conditions of entry.

    Australia has also pursued and secured the reform of many different kinds of non -tariff

    measures that give rise to trade problems and has succeeded in achieving their modification

    or removal. Market access gains made in this area include, for example, removal of import

    bans, simplification of import formalities, reductions in import fees, elimination of point ofsale restrictions that discriminate against Australian products, replacement of unreasonable

    packaging and labelling requirements with more reasonable requirements, and elimination of

    unnecessary requirements relating to conformity with standards.

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    Agricultural Subsidies

    Australia participates actively in joint efforts within the Cairns Group and with other like -

    minded WTO Members to ensure that new WTO Members will participate meaningfully in the

    multilateral reform process for trade in agriculture, including by giving commitments to limit

    the subsidisation of the agricultural sector. This involves new WTO Members cappin g

    domestic support at recent levels and applying phased reductions from those levels. Australia

    expects new Members to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. Australia takes a lead role in

    these negotiations.

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    Trade Indicators

    Export Specialization IndexAustralia's trade with China

    Crude Petrolium

    Xij Exports of product $10,360,000,000

    Xit Exports of Australia $161,500,000,000

    mkj Imports of Product $17,905,000,000

    mkt Imports of Australia $160,900,000,000

    Export Specialization Index 0.576459695

    Gold

    Xij Exports of product $14,702,000,000

    Xit Exports of Australia $161,500,000,000

    mkj Imports of Product $9,732,000,000

    mkt Imports of Australia $160,900,000,000

    Export Specialization Index 1.505073938

    Coal

    Xij Exports of product $46,403,000,000

    Xit Exports of Australia $161,500,000,000

    mkj Imports of Product $1

    mkt Imports of Australia $160,900,000,000

    Export Specialization Index 46230604954

    Relative Growth Rates of Australia's top five Merchandide Exports

    (A$ Millions)

    Rank Commodity2006-07

    2007-08

    2008-09

    RelativeGrotwh Rate

    (Gi)

    1 Coal 21,845 24,416 54,672 250.3%

    2 Iron ore & Concentrates 15,512 20,511 34,234 220.7%

    3 Gold 10,740 12,272 17,507 163.0%

    4 Education Related Travel Services 11,109 13,538 16,610 149.5%

    5 Personal Travel (excl education) Services 11,538 12,004 12,004 104.0%

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    Trade Intensity Index

    Australia's trade with China

    Xij Australia's Exports to China $116,811,479Xwj Total Imports of China $1,010,000,000,000

    Xit Exports of Australia $161,500,000,000

    Xwt Imports of Australia $160,900,000,000

    Trade Intensity Index = 0.000115225