Australian free trade agreements

● Australia-New Zealand (ANZCERTA or CER) – 1 January 1983

● Singapore-Australia (SAFTA) – 28 July 2003
● Australia-United States (AUSFTA) – 1 January 2005
● Thailand-Australia (TAFTA) – 1 January 2005
● Australia-Chile (ACl-FTA) – 6 March 2009
● ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand (AANZFTA) – 1 January 2010 for eight
countries: Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Vietnam. For Thailand: 12 March 2010. For Laos: 1 January
2011. For Cambodia: 4 January 2011. For Indonesia: 10 January 2012
● Malaysia-Australia (MAFTA) – 1 January 2013
● Korea-Australia (KAFTA) – 12 December 2014
● Japan-Australia (JAEPA) – 15 January 2015
● China-Australia (ChAFTA) – 20 December 2015
● Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
(CPTPP) – 30 December 2018
● Australia-Hong Kong (A-HKFTA) and associated Investment Agreement (IA) –
17 January 2020
● Peru-Australia (PAFTA) — 11 February 2020
● Indonesia- Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
(IA-CEPA) – 5 July 2020
● Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus – 13
December 2020
● Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) – 1
January 2022 for ten countries: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia,
China, Japan, Laos, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
For Republic of Korea: 1 February 2022.

FTAs not yet in force

● Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA)

Recent years have seen remarkable growth in the trading relationship between India
and Australia, fuelled by the many complementarities between the two economies.
Two-way trade in goods and services has grown in value from $13.6 billion in 2007
to $24.3 billion in 2020.

India is the world's largest democracy and is a market of 1.3 billion people. Its
youthful population, diversified economy and growth trajectory present significant
opportunity for Australian business, including in education, agriculture, energy,
resources, tourism, healthcare, financial services, infrastructure, science and
innovation, and sport.

At the 17th India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission meeting on 30 September

2021, then Minister Tehan and Minister Goyal formally re-launched CECA
negotiations and reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a CECA, including to
reach an interim agreement by December 2021 to liberalise and deepen bilateral
trade in goods and services, and to conclude the negotiations on a full CECA by the
end of 2022.

Australia and India launched negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic

Cooperation Agreement in May 2011. There were nine rounds of negotiations before
both countries decided to suspend negotiations in September 2015, pending the
outcome of other multilateral regional negotiations.

In June 2020, as part of the Joint Statement on a Compr ehensive Strategic

Partnership between India and Australia, former Prime Ministers Morrison and Modi
decided to re-engage on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA) while suitably considering earlier bilateral discussions, where a
mutually agreed way forward can be found

● Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA)

The Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (Australia-UK FTA), signed

virtually on 17 December 2021 , is a gold standard trade agreement that represents
a once in a generation deal for Australia and an historic moment in our relationship
with the UK.

The Australia-UK FTA contains commercially significant commitments that will

strengthen diversification and COVID-19 recovery for both countries. The
Australia-UK FTA is about creating new export opportunities and jobs for business by
eliminating tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exports to the UK.

Australia’s services companies and professionals will benefit from new commitments
that make it easier to operate in the UK market, supporting the mutual recognition of
professional qualifications and greater certainty for skilled professionals entering the
UK labour market. Reflecting our deep people-to-people links, both countries will
offer enhanced opportunities to live and work temporarily in each other’s country.
 ● Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
On October 5, 2015, Ministers of the 12 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries –
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New
Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam – announced conclusion of
their negotiations. The result is a high-standard, ambitious, comprehensive, and
balanced agreement that will promote economic growth; support the creation and
retention of jobs; enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness; raise living
standards; reduce poverty in our countries; and promote transparency, good
governance, and enhanced labor and environmental protections. We envision
conclusion of this agreement, with its new and high standards for trade and
investment in the Asia Pacific, as an important step toward our ultimate goal of open
trade and regional integration across the region.

● Comprehensive market access. The TPP eliminates or reduces tariff and

non-tariff barriers across substantially all trade in goods and services and
covers the full spectrum of trade, including goods and services trade and
investment, so as to create new opportunities and benefits for our businesses,
workers, and consumers.
● Regional approach to commitments. The TPP facilitates the development
of production and supply chains, and seamless trade, enhancing efficiency
and supporting our goal of creating and supporting jobs, raising living
standards, enhancing conservation efforts, and facilitating cross-border
integration, as well as opening domestic markets.
● Addressing new trade challenges. The TPP promotes innovation,
productivity, and competitiveness by addressing new issues, including the
development of the digital economy, and the role of state-owned enterprises
in the global economy.
● Inclusive trade. The TPP includes new elements that seek to ensure that
economies at all levels of development and businesses of all sizes can benefit
from trade. It includes commitments to help small- and medium-sized
businesses understand the Agreement, take advantage of its opportunities,
and bring their unique challenges to the attention of the TPP governments. It
also includes specific commitments on development and trade capacity
building, to ensure that all Parties are able to meet the commitments in the
Agreement and take full advantage of its benefits.
● Platform for regional integration. The TPP is intended as a platform for
regional economic integration and designed to include additional economies
across the Asia-Pacific region.
FTAs under negotiation

● Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreemente

Australia and the European Union (EU) launched negotiations for a free trade
agreement (FTA) on 18 June 2018. As a bloc, the EU is a massive, high-income
market of almost 450 million people with a GDP of around $23 trillion. As a bloc, it is
Australia’s second largest two-way trading partner of goods and services and fourth
largest source of foreign direct investment1.

An ambitious and comprehensive FTA with the EU will assist with post-pandemic
economic recovery by providing new opportunities in a highly significant market for
Australian goods and services. It will provide Australian exporters with a competitive
edge and more choices about where they do business. Australian consumers and
companies stand to benefit through greater choice in goods and services at lower
prices.

The FTA builds upon Australia and the EU’s natural partnership, arising out of a
shared commitment to the rule of law, global norms and free and open markets. A
strong EU is vital to Australian interests in protecting and promoting a rules-based
international order. We want an FTA with the EU to set the benchmark for what can
be achieved between like-minded partners.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) welcomes submissions

throughout the negotiations from interested individuals and groups on the potential
opportunities and impacts of an FTA with the EU. Anyone who makes submissions
will also be registered as a stakeholder by DFAT and advised about further
consultations where appropriate. See our Submissions page for more information.

● Australia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement

Australia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)) share a significant
economic relationship, encompassing trade and investment across a broad range of
goods and services.

The GCC is a key established market for a range of Australian exports including
agricultural products like live animals, meat, dairy, vegetables, sugar, wheat, and
other grains, as well as automotive and resources exports. The majority of
Australia’s goods trade with the Middle East is with the GCC, accounting for $11.8
billion in two-way goods trade in 2021. It is also a growing market for services and
investment, with strong opportunities in infrastructure, education and professional
services.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the GCC commenced in July 2007. Four
rounds of Australia-GCC FTA negotiations were held, with the last one occurring in
June 2009. Negotiations with the GCC were subsequently paused and there have
been no further negotiating rounds.

At the GCC Leader’s Summit in January 2021, the GCC renewed its interest in
pursuing an FTA with Australia (and other key countries) as a priority market.
Subsequent discussions have occurred between Australia and the GCC at
Ministerial and officials’ level on a potential resumption of negotiations.

● Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement

Recent years have seen remarkable growth in the trading relationship between India
and Australia, fuelled by the many complementarities between the two economies.
Two-way trade in goods and services has grown in value from $13.6 billion in 2007
to $24.3 billion in 2020.

India is the world's largest democracy and is a market of 1.3 billion people. Its
youthful population, diversified economy and growth trajectory present significant
opportunity for Australian business, including in education, agriculture, energy,
resources, tourism, healthcare, financial services, infrastructure, science and
innovation, and sport.

At the 17th India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission meeting on 30 September

2021, then Minister Tehan and Minister Goyal formally re-launched CECA
negotiations and reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a CECA, including to
reach an interim agreement by December 2021 to liberalise and deepen bilateral
trade in goods and services, and to conclude the negotiations on a full CECA by the
end of 2022.

Australia and India launched negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic

Cooperation Agreement in May 2011. There were nine rounds of negotiations before
both countries decided to suspend negotiations in September 2015, pending the
outcome of other multilateral regional negotiations.
In June 2020, as part of the Joint Statement on a Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership between India and Australia, former Prime Ministers Morrison and Modi
decided to re-engage on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA) while suitably considering earlier bilateral discussions, where a
mutually agreed way forward can be found.

● Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner
in the Middle East. With $6.8 billion in two-way trade in 2020 (over $10 billion
pre-COVID), the UAE is Australia’s 19th largest export market globally for goods and
services.

Currently, Australia’s major exports include aluminium oxide, meat (beef, sheep, and
lamb), vehicle parts and accessories, and telecom equipment and parts. There are
further opportunities for Australian business in the UAE including in services,
agriculture, education and tourism, particularly given the UAE’s position as a regional
hub, and through increased investment and people-to-people links.

On 17 March 2022, then Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan and
HE Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi Minister of State for Foreign Trade issued a joint
statement announcing Australia and the UAE’s intention to pursue a Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

A trade agreement with the UAE would be a first for Australia in the Middle East and
add to Australia’s existing network of trade agreements. The CEPA, a bilateral free
trade agreement, has significant potential to strengthen and deepen the dynamic
relationship between the two countries.

Previously, Australia and the UAE commenced negotiations on a Free Trade

Agreement (FTA) in March 2005, which was subsumed into negotiations on an
Australia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) FTA. The negotiations with the GCC
commenced in July 2007, with last negotiating round held in June 2009.

● Environmental Goods Agreement

International trade and environment policy focuses on a number of areas where

trade and environment interact particularly closely. Prominent examples of this are
those international treaties which regulate trade where this is required to protect
wildlife or the ozone layer; or where reductions in trade barriers have been
undertaken where this promotes the trade, production and utilization of
environmentally positive equipment.

The 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, establishing the WTO, refers to the importance of
optimally using the world's resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable
development and seeking to protect and preserve the environment. The WTO
followed the lead of the 1992 Rio Conference on Sustainable development which
endorsed the idea of making trade and environment policy and practice as "mutually
supportive" as possible. Consistent with this, the role of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in relation to trade and environment is to ensure that
environmental policies do not act as illegitimate cover for protectionist policies, and
that trade rules do not stand in the way of legitimate domestic environmental
protection.

Consideration of trade and environment issues within the WTO centers on the
Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE). The Committee's mandate is broad,
and provides opportunities for WTO members to raise a wide range of trade and
environment issues.

● Pacific Alliance Free Trade Agreement

Australia and the Pacific Alliance launched negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement
(FTA) on 30 June. A regional trading bloc comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico and
Peru, the Pacific Alliance's GDP was worth over USD $1.8 trillion in 2015-16. Over
the last decade, Pacific Alliance members had some of the fastest growing
economies in the region. The four countries, taken together, account for 37 per cent
of Latin America's population, 35 per cent of its nominal GDP, 46 per cent of its
exports, and 50 per cent of its total imports.

A Pacific Alliance FTA would enable Australian businesses to access the

opportunities presented by that growing market. It would also strengthen our
economic relationship with Latin America and provide an opportunity for Australian
businesses to diversify their export markets.

The Pacific Alliance is a growing market for Australian goods and services exporters.
In 2016, total two-way trade in goods and services with Pacific Alliance members
was worth $5.8 billion, more than double what it was ten years ago. An FTA with the
Pacific Alliance would provide Australian businesses with an opportunity to expand
our engagement with this growing market.

Pacific Alliance countries are also an attractive investment destination for Australia.
There are currently over 300 Australian businesses operating in Pacific Alliance
economies. An FTA would provide a platform for expanding and deepening these
relationships.

● Trade in Services Agreement

The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is a proposed trade agreement that would
set new international standards in services liberalisation and promote the expansion
of Australia's services exports. TiSA builds on the World Trade Organization (WTO)
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) while also incorporating elements
from FTAs that further reduce barriers to international services trade.