Inquiry: Benefitting from Australia’s Free Trade Agreements

THE Australian Parliament’s Trade and Investment Growth Committee is currently undertaking an Inquiry into the Business Experience in Utilising Australia’s Free Trade Agreements.

The Inquiry is examining the experience of Australian business in using existing free trade agreements (FTAs), including any barriers that may be preventing business from realising the benefits of these FTAs.

As part of its inquiry, the committee will be holding public hearings in Melbourne on 27 July and Sydney on 28 July.

The Melbourne hearing features a range of industry associations including many representing horticulture businesses.

"Horticulture businesses are being prevented from accessing some export markets because of quarantine and phytosanitary concerns. Without market access these businesses cannot benefit from Australia’s FTAs. We need to understand why this is occurring and how these obstacles can be overcome," Chair of the Committee, Mr Ken O’Dowd said.

In Sydney, witnesses will include representatives from a range of service industries.

"Asia’s growing economies present many opportunities for Australian service industries to expand. To benefit from these opportunities we need to seek to remove any barriers to Australian foreign investment, and ensure that Australians are enabled to conduct business in key overseas markets," Mr O’Dowd said.

Melbourne
Date: Monday 27 July 2015, 9.00 am – 3.40 pm
Location: Room G6, Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne

Sydney
Date: Tuesday 28 July 2015, 9.00 am – 5.40 pm
Location: Macquarie Room, 6 Macquarie Street, Sydney

More information is available at: www.aph.gov.au/fta

ends