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The Australia-US Free Trade Agreement in the Media

2005

August 23, 2005, AAP, "US lobbyists making money from FTA"

There have already been some big winners out of Australia's free-trade deal with the United States - American lawyers and lobbyists. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, in answer to a question from his Labor counterpart Kevin Rudd, has revealed the government spent $1.5 million on US-based lobbyists and lawyers to get the deal. Read the full text here.

23 August 2005, ABC Science Online, "US deal may hurt stem cell research", by Judy Skatssoon

The free trade agreement (FTA) with the US could stifle Australian stem cell research, scientists and legal experts say. Dr Thomas Faunce, a senior lecturer at the Australian National University medical school and law faculty, said he was concerned about the impact of the deal at a recent public forum on stem cells hosted by Sydney's Garvan Institute. Read the full text here.

20 Aug 2005, Adelaide Advertiser, "U.S. gains in one-sided trade deal", By Scott Murdoch

THE much-vaunted free trade agreement with the United States has become one-sided, with no financial benefit to Australia. Income earned by the U.S. through imports to Australia has increased by $724 million in the first six months after the deal came into effect on January 1 this year. But for Australia, exports to the U.S. have slumped by $123 million, or 2.7 per cent. Read the full text here.

20 August 2005, The Age, "No easy ride in the land of the FTA" by Tim Colebatch

IT WAS meant to be the big breakthrough for Australian exporters — but official statistics show Australia's exports to the US have fallen by 3 per cent since the start of the US free trade agreement. In contrast, the first six months of our FTA with Thailand saw Australian exports surge 63 per cent. With record commodity prices lifting Australia's export earnings by 16 per cent this year, and an agreement that was meant to let us "dock into the world's most dynamic economy", why have exports to the US gone backwards? Read the full text here.

16 March 2005, ZDNet Australia, "Aussie BitTorrent case to test Aust-US FTA" By Kristyn Maslog-Levis

A federal magistrate today rejected a request from solicitors representing Internet service provider Swiftel Communications and associated parties to move a court case over alleged copyright infringement to the Federal Court. Warner Music Australia and other record companies are suing the ISP for copyright infringement for allegedly hosting and maintaining two Internet computer servers and a Web site called Archie's Hub which deploys the BitTorrent application. The case is the first to test legislation passed to enact the Australian-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). Read the full text here.

12 August 2004, ABC Science Online, "FTA has little impact on GM canola, experts", By Anna Salleh

Claims that the Australia-United States free trade agreement (FTA) could increase pressure to lift bans on the commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) canola have been questioned by some environmental and law experts. Read the full text here.

6 August 2004, ABC Science Online, "Trade agreement may weaken quarantine", by Anna Salleh

The Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could bring more pressure on Australia to reduce quarantine standards and allow US imports of unlabelled genetically modified food, say experts in environmental law and international relations. Read the full text here.

19 May 2005, Australian IT, "ISPs voice free trade fears"

AUSTRALIA'S internet industry has expressed ongoing concern about legal uncertainties attached to copyright laws imposed on ISPs as a result of the US Free Trade Agreement. The Internet Industry Association (IIA) announced it would finalise a code of practice containing guidance to industry on the issue of "authorisation liability", which could see service providers held legally accountable for customer actions carried out across their networks. Read the full text here.

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