Media release
Friday 27 September 2002
Trading Partners Commend Australia's Trade Policies
Australia's trading partners have congratulated Australia on its
successful trade policies and economic performance in a review conducted
in Geneva earlier this week, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today.
Thirty countries were actively involved in the World Trade Organisation's
fourth Trade Policy Review of Australia on 23 and 25 September.
"Our trading partners knew we had an impressive story to tell. We
received more than 300 written questions," Mr Vaile said.
"WTO members congratulated Australia on its impressive economic performance,
the exemplary transparency of its trade policies and its low level
of tariff protection. Many members also made special comment on Australia's
low levels of domestic support and tariffs for agricultural goods,
in marked contrast to a number of other developed countries.
"The review participants agreed Australia's strong economic performance
over the last 10 years was largely due to its ongoing program of trade
reform, structural changes and sound macroeconomic policies - a program
to which the Government remains firmly committed."
Mr Vaile said Australia had been highly commended for its active
and constructive role in the WTO, including its support for launching
the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations.
"Australia will continue to play a strong leadership role in the
WTO. We want to ensure the Doha Development Agenda negotiations -
with developing country concerns at the heart of the mandate - do
not get bogged down on technicalities. That is why Australia will
host an informal meeting of trade ministers in Sydney on 14 and 15
November to begin to [bridge differences] on a range of development-related
issues and market access issues. This is important for developing
countries and it is important for Australia."
Mr Vaile said some WTO members had raised concerns during the review
in areas such as Australia's strict quarantine system, single desk
commodity marketing, government procurement, and foreign investment.
"Many of these concerns are based on common misunderstandings and
the review gave us an opportunity to challenge these head-on and explain
why, for example, our science approach to quarantine is vital to Australia's
national interest," Mr Vaile said.
"The keen interest our trading partners took in this review, and
the very positive outcome of this peer assessment process, reflects
the success of the Government's economic and trade policies."
Media Contact: Mark Croxford +61 02 6277 7420
Local Date:
Friday, 21-Nov-2008 16:49:33 EST
