China and Australia sign landmark FTA

The Australian government announced that on June 17, 2015, the Australian and Chinese governments signed the long-awaited China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) in a ceremony in Canberra.  The historic agreement was signed by Australia’s Trade Minister Andrew Robb and China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng and completed ten years of negotiations and followed the Declaration of Intent signed in November 2014 by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Both countries must now complete their domestic treaty making processes to bring the Agreement into force. In Australia this includes consideration by the Parliament, more information about the steps to entry into force can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website has comprehensive information on the ChAFTA as well as the full text of the Agreement.  The materials include:

•       Fact Sheet: Agriculture and Processed Food

•       Fact Sheet: Resources, Energy and Manufacturing

•       Fact Sheet: Trade in goods – trade rules and facilitation

•       Fact Sheet: Trade in Services

•       Fact Sheet: Financial Services

•       Fact Sheet: Investment

•       Fact Sheet: Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)

•       Fact Sheet: Movement of Natural Persons

•       Fact Sheet: Electronic Commerce, Intellectual Property, Competition Policy and Government Procurement

•       China-Australia FTA – Outcomes at a glance

•       Quick Guide: Agriculture and Processed Foods Outcomes

•       Quick Guide: Key Resources, Energy and Manufacturing Outcomes

•       Quick Guide: Key Services Outcomes

•       Quick Guide: Key Investment and Investor-state Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Outcomes

•       ChAFTA – Benefits for Australian business

•       ChAFTA – Opening new opportunities for Australian products in China

•       Implementation process and timeline

•       Infographic: China-Australia FTA: The benefits for Australia

•       Economic modelling of Australia’s North Asia FTAs

Tony Abbot’s announcement may be seen here.

The Chinese government’s announcement (in Chinese) is here.