The Australian Prime Minister has reassured Australia’s primary producers that agriculture will be included in its free trade agreement with the US.
Speaking at the National Farmers Federation’s (NFF) annual conference dinner, John Howard said the deal will have an enormous economic and strategic value for Australia in the long term. He reiterated that while agriculture will be difficult to negotiate due to opposition from US farm groups, it must be included.
NFF’s chief trade negotiator, Steve Deady, said the US congress is due to receive a report from the International Trade Centre (ITC), which will look at the economic impact of a free trade deal between the countries. The report will also clear the way for the July negotiations on market access for products such as beef, sugar and dairy.
