26 April 2017: The Australian Government is currently considering a free trade agreement with Hong Kong. At this stage, the Government has put out a press release signalling their intention and is currently inviting public submissions. Read on for our human rights and environmental sustainability concerns.
24 April 2017: Member of Parliament for the New Zealand Green Party and former director of Oxfam NZ, Barry Cotes, has called for a rethink of the PACER-plus trade agreement finalised, but not signed, in Brisbane last week.
22 April 2017: Civil society organisations in Geneva, where TiSA negotiations are held, have thrown the deal into the spotlight by gaining approval to have Stop TiSA flags displayed on a prominent bridge, which most commuters must pass over to get from one side of Geneva to another.
20 April 2017: During a recent visit to India, PM Turnbull confirmed that negotiations with India for a bilateral free trade deal remain stalled and could be years away. Talks came to a standstill in late 2016 with the priority on the regional RCEP deal.
AFTINET's Dr Patricia Ranald speaks about the future of trade beyond the TPP and gives an introduction to the RCEP at an event hosted by Jubilee Australia in March 2017.
Thanks to AFTINET supporter Phil Jones for putting together this video.
19 April 2017: Japan is pushing for a revival of the failed TPP and will lead efforts towards implementing the agreement without the US.
19 April 2017: While it’s clear that the Turnbull Government’s abolition of the 457 visa for temporary workers doesn't address the main problems with the visa, the decision does highlight why these arrangements should never be in trade agreements.
4 April 2017: AFTINET has written an open letter to Trade Minister Steven Ciobo urging Australia not to proceed with signing the PACER-plus trade deal between Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries.
The deal could be signed as early as April and without the two biggest Pacific Island economies, PNG and Fiji.
1 April 2017: The Australian and Chinese governments recently announced a review of the temporary worker clause attached to the China-Australia free trade agreement.
29 March 2017: If TPP-like provisions on medicine monopolies are adopted in the RCEP, new medicines will remain expensive for longer periods of time. India’s Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme could be hit badly. Read more