Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Land
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources for agriculture, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Biodiversity
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Invasive species
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Wildlife trade
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Our science strategy
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us Enhancing Australia’s agriculture, environment, heritage and water resources through regulation and partnership.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    A day in the life

    A day in the life...

    Our video series showcases the diverse and important work we do.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Trade and market access
  4. Agricultural Trade Quarterly Briefing
  5. May 2015

Sidebar first - Market access trade

  • Trade and Market Access
    • Agricultural Trade Quarterly Briefing
    • Agri-Business Expansion Initiative
    • Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC)
    • Free trade agreements (FTAs)
      • Free trade agreements signed (but not yet in force) or under negotiation
    • Global Agriculture Advocacy
    • National Traceability Project
      • National Traceability Summit
    • Non-tariff measures
    • Our agriculture counsellors
    • PHAMA Plus partnership
    • World Trade Organization (WTO)
      • Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
        • Australia’s SPS contact point
        • WTO SPS agreement: why you need to know …
      • Technical barriers to trade
    • Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector
    • Improving agricultural export legislation
      • Useful legislation links
    • 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Preparing for Brexit
    • Transforming Australia’s agricultural export services
    • UN Food Systems Summit 2021
    • Feeding the Future - a joint report

Agricultural Trade Matters, May 2015

​​​​Agricultural Trade Matters

​

​​​​​​Agricultural trade matters provides an overview of what the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Australian Government are doing to support international agricultural trade.

This is a past edition of Agricultural trade news.

You can now view the current edition of Agricultural trade matters, for a snapshot of the department’s latest work on agricultural trade.

To receive an email notification when future editions are made available, subscribe to Agricultural Trade Matters.​

Benefits from multilateral engagement for Australian agriculture

Australia has a long history of participation in multilateral trade and economic development organisations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Through the WTO, the department works to encourage more transparency in markets and a more effective trading environment for export and two-way trade.

Continue reading about Australia's multilateral engagement

WTO members praise Australia — Australia’s Trade Policy Review

One way that the WTO works to improve transparency in markets is through regular review of members’ trade policies. Trade Policy Reviews are similar to peer reviews and encourage governments to follow WTO rules and fulfil their international obligations.

The seventh WTO Trade Policy Review of Australia, held in Geneva on 21 and 23 April 2015, was preceded by over a year’s work undertaken by the WTO Secretariat and Australian government agencies to develop a detailed report on Australia’s trade and economic policies. The report, provided to WTO Members for comment, prompted over 600 questions to which the Department of Agriculture and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade responded. Topics included Australia’s biosecurity regime, technical and phytosanitary processes, labelling, geographical indications, research and development and levies systems.

At the conclusion of the review, WTO members praised Australia’s economic management, its liberalising approach to trade and continuing engagement in international trade policy. Members noted our consistent record and ongoing ability to meet challenges through agricultural trade reforms.

Australia at the G20 agriculture ministers meeting in Turkey

The G20 agriculture ministers met on 8 May 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey, to promote sustainable food systems and reducing food loss and waste. The Hon. Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, delivered Australia’s statement highlighting the role of agricultural reforms in enhancing productivity and investment, creating open and transparent markets, and increasing agricultural trade. Ministers’ agreed to a communiqué that includes:

  • Political support for implementing the G20 Food Security and Nutrition Framework linking food security to G20’s core economic issues – investment, productivity and jobs. 
  • Agreeing to establish a platform to share information about measuring and reducing food loss and waste.

This agreement will help tackle the issue of food loss and waste and help identify how commercial opportunities from food loss can be created. G20 agricultural deputies, in collaboration with the G20 development working group, are now preparing a ‘G20 action plan on food security / sustainable food system’ for consideration at the Antalya Summit in November 2015.

As part of Australia’s G20 Presidency, the department was able to advance the interests of agriculture and global food security by strengthening some of the G20’s existing agriculture and food security initiatives, promoting open and transparent market information and increasing agricultural productivity through research, innovation and collaboration.

Did you know? G20 members received $27.5 billion or 61 per cent of our agricultural exports in 2014.

Orange is the new black — Australia and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

The FAO is home to the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (a governing body of the IPPC) recently adopted three cold disinfestation treatments for Queensland fruit fly on citrus varieties. These treatments were proposed by Australia. They are the first cold treatments to be adopted by the IPPC in support of Australia’s endeavours to increase export opportunities for citrus growers. Around 165,000 tonnes of Australian citrus are exported annually.

Good neighbours and good friends — Australia represents the SW Pacific region in the FAO

Australia plays an important leadership role in the FAO, representing not only our own interests but also the interests of the Pacific region. As co–chair of FAO South West Pacific region group of countries, Australia has been promoting the agricultural and food security needs of Pacific Island countries. Through their involvement, Pacific Island countries are also becoming more aware of the agricultural initiatives available to them through the FAO. Participation at this meeting also resolved a technical market access issue with Papua New Guinea.


Improving market access for agricultural exports

Good breeding counts

Malaysia has agreed to health conditions for the import of Australian breeder deer, with the Philippines also agreeing to health conditions for the import of Australian breeder sheep and goats. Exports of breeder deer, sheep and goats have previously taken place, however this was through the use of ad hoc import permits. The recently agreed import health protocol and health certificate provides certainty on health conditions for Australian exporters.

More information on market access achievements is available on the department's website.

Reaping the benefits of recent free trade agreements

The Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) and the Korea–Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) have now entered into force and are already benefiting Australian agricultural producers and exporters.

Continue reading about JAEPA and KAFTA

Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA)

Australian agriculture industries are seeing benefits from the JAEPA following entry into force on 15 January 2015.

The successful negotiation of an import protocol in 2015 and a reduction of tariffs on table grapes have resulted in a significant growth in exports of Australian table grapes to Japan in the 2015 season. Over 100 consignments have been exported so far, compared to 14 consignments in the 2014 season. Tariff eliminations under JAEPA include:

  • Other horticultural exports, including asparagus, mangoes, macadamias, olives and cherries (for our export season).
  • Seafood exports to Japan including abalone, rock lobster, prawns and oysters.

The second round of tariff cuts for JAEPA came into effect on 1 April 2015. This has helped significantly reduce tariffs across a range of commodities including for beef where the 38.5 per cent tariff on chilled and frozen beef has now been reduced to 31.5 per cent and 28.5 per cent respectively. Beef exports increased by 24 per cent over the equivalent period last year.

Korea–Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA)

Good outcomes are being seen for Australian agricultural producers with the entry into force of the KAFTA on 12 December 2014. KAFTA has eliminated tariffs across a range of agriculture commodities including raw sugar, wheat, wine, cotton seed and some horticulture products (cherries, almonds, dried grapes and chipping potatoes).

The elimination of a 24 per cent tariff on cherries has improved opportunities for the Tasmanian cherry industry, where exports in the last export season (2014–15) totalled 247.6 tonnes (valued at almost $4 million) compared to $69,000 for the 2013–14 export season.

The second round of tariff cuts on 1 January 2015 halved the tariff on table grapes to 24 per cent. Combined with the conclusion of a table grapes protocol, this has helped with the export of over 35 consignments (550 tonnes) to Korea this year.

Beef exports from Australia to Korea now face a 34.7 per cent tariff, down from the 40 per cent tariff before KAFTA’s entry into force. This improves Australia’s position in the market place against our major competitor, the United States.

More information on free trade agreements is available on the department's website.


Engaging with our trading partners

Harvesting benefits from wheat and barley protocol with China

Senator the Hon. Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, led a delegation to Japan and China from 19 to 24 April 2015. The visit played an important part in strengthening our agricultural and trade relationships, particularly following the entry in to force of the JAEPA and the conclusion of negotiations on the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement. Senator Colbeck engaged in high–level discussions about a range of agricultural market access issues. He also signed a wheat and barley protocol with China to facilitate the continued $1.5 billion annual wheat and barley trade with China.

Cultivating a fruitful relationship with Japan

Australia hosted the fourth Australia–Japan High Level Agricultural Dialogue on 27 March 2015 in Canberra. The meeting came at an opportune time, following entry into force of the Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) on 15 January 2015. Discussions noted the smooth implementation of JAEPA so far and the increased flow of trade as a result of the first two rounds of tariff reductions.

​​

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 01 October 2020

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.