Articles - 13 February 2004
Free Trade Agreement done
After the deal was done - Ambassador Bob Zoellick press conference
Transcript of press conference with US Trade Representative, Ambassador Bob Zoellick, and Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, on conclusion of FTA negotiations in Washington, DC.
Arts Hub Australia
Free Trade: True Lies?
Australian Government caused great concern among the arts and cultural community last year, when it announced that protections of cultural products and broadcasting might be on the Free Trade negotiating table with the United States. It should be a relief, then, to read in Minister Vaille's 8 February Press release the assurance that: 'Our right to ensure local content in Australian broadcasting and audiovisual services, including in new media formats, is retained'.
Australia's cultural industries lose out?
The free trade agreement with the US threatens significant losses to Australian culture, representatives of the Australian film and television industry said today. As more details of the deal become available, the industry says it is deeply concerned by the contradictions between the Australian Government's statements and those from the US.
A joint industry response from:-
National Association for the Visual Arts Ltd
Confirmation of Australia's free trade agreement with the US came through today. However, while copyright arrangements are reasonably transparent, its other impacts on the cultural sector are not yet clear.
APRA
Free trade agreement with the United States concluded
While the text of the agreement will not be made public for a while and may be subject to a "scrubbing" process, the deal has been done. It has a time line of approval by the US JSCOT Committee and Congress by July this year. The changes will then have to be made to our legislation.
