[asia-apec 1532] Jim Sutton (NZ Trade Minister) on Asia-Pacific Trade Deal

[APEC Monitoring Group]

Aussie Trade Stance Could Stump Free Trade Deal
Staff Reporter Patric Lane 29/08/00 13:32:00

A perception that Australia is a hard country to do business with may be an
obstacle to the formation of an Asia-Pacific free-trade area, says Trade
Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton.


A study group has been looking at the idea of linking the trans-Tasman
Closer Economic Relations (CER) partnership with the 10-country South East
Asian free trade area, AFTA.


Ministers from the countries involved are due to meet in Thailand in October
to consider the group's report and decide whether to launch negotiations.


Mr Sutton said today one of the obstacles to a wider FTA agreement was the
common perception among the Asian nations that Australia used biosecurity as
a guise for technical barriers to trade, blocking exports into the
Australian food product market.


Canberra and the state governments have been at odds over some trade issues,
such as a Tasmanian move to ban salmon imports.


Mr Sutton said some of the feedback from the ASEAN nations was that this may
be the biggest single obstacle.


He said Tasmania seemed to have adopted an extreme position, but by and
large he believed that the state ministers appreciated they had to reach a
relationship with the commonwealth government that allowed Australia to
speak with one voice and be a reliable country to deal with on such matters.


The Minister believed the Australians were wholeheartedly in support of the
FTA proposal, and that he was encouraging Australia to resolve the
differences between the states and Canberra on quarantine and biosecurity
issues.


Mr Sutton also said there had been some indications of political opposition
to the plan in the ASEAN countries, and he expected there would be in New
Zealand as well.


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