Treaties Committee tables reports on trade, communication and aviation

THE Treaties Committee today tabled two reports covering their examination of six treaties covering a range of topics.

Amendments to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) will remove tariffs on a range of technology products and eliminate agricultural export subsidies.

Committee Chair, tStuart Robert MP, says that while the changes will provide incremental improvements for Australian consumers and farmers, domestic subsidies and non-tariff barriers must be further reduced to encourage global trade.

Updates to the international Radio Regulations will provide for the growing demand for mobile broadband services, improve aeronautical and maritime communications and the international coordination of satellite networks.

Mr Robert said that accepting the revisions will align Australia with the rest of the world in its regulation of the radio frequency spectrum.

The reports also cover regular air service agreements with Kuwait and Bahrain and changes to an aviation safety agreement with the United States which will enable Australian manufacturers to gain access to the United States aviation market, one of the biggest in the world.  

Changes to the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements are also examined.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

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