Global Trade Watch – FTA Article

US-Aust FTA will be rejected unless big on agriculture: PM

AAP, Fri November 21, 2003

CANBERRA, Nov 21 AAP - Australia will reject a free trade agreement with the United States if America failed to agree to big concessions on agriculture, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

"It stands to reason that if we can't get something quite big on agriculture then we won't have a free trade agreement, we won't," he told radio 3AW.

But Mr Howard said it was reasonable for Australia to give the Americans things they wanted if they agreed to Australia's agriculture demands.

"To get something big on agriculture, we will obviously have to agree to some things that the Americans put to us," he said.

However the prime minister said Australia was unwilling to give up the existing local content laws relating to film and television.

"Obviously in a negotiation like this if we want something big from the Americans then they will want something from us and we are willing to look at some suggestions they might have in other areas," he said.

"But the line we've taken to date is the existing local content rules ought to be preserved in relation to existing media.

"As to some discussion about what might apply to future arrangements then that might be part of the negotiation."

Mr Howard said he understood why the film and television industry was worried about protection under a FTA but guaranteed the local content laws would remain.

"People must understand with these things that you can only look at it when you've got a total agreement and see what the benefits for Australia are against the possible detriments," he said.