Media release

Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile

Wednesday, September 13, 2000

Increased Resources for WTO Disputes

Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, has used his address to the World Economic Forum in Melbourne today to announce that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be devoting more resources to prosecuting and defending Australia?s legal rights in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

"I'm determined to make full use of the WTO system to maximise market access overseas for Australian exporters," Mr Vaile said.

"DFAT's resources for managing the dispute process will be boosted further by the establishment of a new Trade Law Branch and the deployment of additional WTO legal expertise in Canberra and abroad.

"The new Trade Law Branch will be a key means of strengthening our WTO expertise to ensure that breaches of the trading rules which impact on the commercial interests of Australian exporters are aggressively pursued.

"It builds on the WTO Disputes Investigation and Enforcement Mechanism set up in DFAT last year to encourage Australian exporters to make better use of the WTO system.

"Resolving disputes through the dispute settlement system has become a key feature of the WTO and it is crucial that Australia is well placed to take maximum advantage of the process. We must continue, in close cooperation with Australian industry, to make sure we use the WTO rules effectively to pursue Australia?s trade and commercial interests.?

Mr Vaile said Australia had been actively using the WTO dispute system in the five and a half-year history of the WTO. Nevertheless, the need for additional focus on disputes was clear given that over 200 cases had been taken to the WTO in that time compared with only 100 cases in the 50 years preceding under the old GATT system.

"Australia has been successful to date in the complaints we have initiated including the recent case on Korean beef. We are also mounting a strong challenge against the unfair US restrictions on lamb with the Panel report in this case due by the end of year," Mr Vaile said.