Minister for Finance and Administration, John Fahey, and Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, will represent Australia at the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in Doha, Qatar, beginning 9 November.  Mr Fahey leaves today for Doha, with Mr Vaile travelling after the federal election on 10 November.

The Ministerial Conference will discuss whether to launch a new round of multilateral trade negotiations.  Both Mr Vaile and Mr Fahey said a new round was central to Australia's efforts to win better access to export markets and to strengthen the rules for global trade.  They stressed the positive impact a new round would have on global economic growth prospects.

A key Australian objective will be an ambitious negotiating mandate for agriculture.  Mr Fahey will chair a meeting of Cairns Group Ministers on 9 November.  The Group would be pressing to have its objectives fully reflected in the mandate, specifically the elimination of export subsidies; substantial improvements in market access; and substantial reductions in trade- and production-distorting domestic support leading to its elimination.

"At Doha, our aim will be a mandate for the reforms that efficient agriculture producers have been waiting for and richly deserve," Mr Vaile said.

Mr Fahey said Australia also supported negotiations to liberalise trade in services and industrial goods.  "With exports now comprising over 20% of GDP - $153 billion - and services exports continuing to expand, Australia has a fundamental interest in reducing trade barriers overseas so that our exporters can continue to capitalise on their outstanding recent successes."

The Ministers noted that a potentially contentious issue would be the direction of future work in the WTO on the relationship between trade liberalisation and environmental protection.  They noted that Australia supports the WTO's role in promoting sustainable development and that future work in the WTO should focus on advancing trade and environmental objectives in a mutually supportive way.

"But obviously, Australia will oppose any proposals for negotiations which would undermine core trade principles and disciplines, and leave open the possibility of new forms of protectionism," Mr Vaile said.

The Conference will also officially welcome China and Chinese Taipei as members of the WTO, the culmination of over fifteen years of negotiations.  "Australian exporters will reap immediate benefits from China and Chinese Taipei's accession to the WTO, in the form of lower tariff and other barriers," Mr Vaile said.

The Government has published a paper detailing Australia's positions on the issues at the Conference.  It is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade' website at http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/ministerial/aus_position.html