Australia-US Free Trade Agreement Overview

Outline Bilateral trade strategy US Agenda Australian agenda Community campaign Campaign achievements Campaign impacts on FTA content First anniversary impacts Monitoring and future campaigns

Bilateral trade strategy preferential vs. multilateral agreements debate Intended to remove all trade barriers faster Increase bilateral trade but exclude others favour the strong, exclude poorest require complex rules of origin for products US agricultural export subsidy payments not reduced, and limited market access linked to military alliances

US Government Agenda NAFTA template: corporate driven Corporate rights to sue governments More corporate IP rights on medicines, copyright No restrictions or obligations on US investors Deregulation of services No local content media rules Reduce quarantine and food regulation Limited environment and labour clauses

Australian Government Agenda access to US agricultural and other markets ‘integration” with US economy seen as benefit, including deregulation, privatisation strengthen military alliance claimed no impacts on access to medicines and other social policies AUSTAR business lobby led by Allen Oxley

Community campaign Focus on undemocratic process and content Publications, public meetings,rallies, petitions, postcards Lobbying of government, opposition and negotiators Links with US groups, health, environment, labour submissions to parliamentary inquiries Biggest ever media debate on trade Aimed to block implementing legislation in the Senate

Campaign achievements Support for FTA fell from 65% to 35%, (Hawker Britton)and remained 34% (Lowy 2005) Thousands of individuals and hundreds of community groups involved: growth of AFTINET and other networks All non-govt parties adopted policies critical of USFTA, but ALP right wing prevailed, and legislation passed with amendments

Campaign impacts on FTA content No investor-state disputes process PBS preserved, but process changed to favour pharma companies and MWG Current media content preserved, but limits on emerging and future media Adoption of some aspects of US IP and copyright law, with amendments food labelling and quarantine preserved, but joint committees on future policy labour and environment clauses

First anniversary January 2006 Australian exports to US fell by 4.7%, US exports to Australia grew 5.7% US government sought removal of ALP pharma amendments in March 2006 review Media debate strongly critical of FTA Flood of letters to editor in holiday time Government did not agree to US demand

Monitoring and campaigns Strong public awareness assists with other campaigns Trade deficits with US likely to continue Need evidence of other impacts: seminar US may use government disputes process on medicines FOI requests Possible withdrawal from the agreement with 6 months’ notice Focus on review February-March 2007