Bilateral trade policy
Background:
Australian farm gate returns are heavily influenced by international market conditions and the opportunities open to Australian exports.
However, Australia's position in many markets is challenged by the impacts of third party trade agreements, and domestic pressures imposed on governments to alter access arrangements that add costs to or reduces the viability of Australian export sales.
The industry believes these challenges are best met through a collective coordinated approach to trade reform.
Project objective:
Maximise profitable export market opportunities available to dairy exporters in identified key markets through strategic trade agreements.
Ensure that Australian access rights, once secured, are maintained on terms that retain our commercial position relative to major export competitors.
Project scope:
Dairy Australia's trade secretariat will:
- Coordinate the development of agreed industry positions on strategic access improvements from bilateral and regional trade agreements to the Australian government.
- Directly support government negotiators in these negotiations to secure desired outcomes.
- Coordinate dairy engagement in industry level alliance and education processes with counterpart groups in target markets by providing local stakehodlers with detailed tehncial assessments of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) outcomes.
- Assist the Australian government in ensuring FTA gains translate into commercial access opportunities.
- Coordinate industry allocation of FTA access rights if necessary (e.g. quota allocations).
- Monitor developments in third party FTA negotiations and advise the industry and government of the commercial implications for Australian dairy exports: market direct representations to offset or reverse policy changes in major export markets that adversely affect Australian export returns or opportunities.
Outcomes/benefits
Improved export returns arising from expanded access rights to premium product markets.
Reduced tariff and techncial barriers to trade.
Expansion in profitable market opportunities available to Australian exporters.
Defensive trade activities support industry returns by negating or minimising the adverse effect on market returns of inappropriate policy adjustments in valued export markets
More information:
For more information contact Chris Phillips Group Manager Trade & Strategy.