Gillard and the TPP

[mantra]

had a look... so what do you think is happening and why?

The figures vary a bit from year to year but as our population grows so do the figures. there may have been a slight jump the year the fta came into being but I doubt that on it's own is the reason.

Also the proportions have from year to year basically stayed the same. They maintain a positive trade balance with us but it has always been thus. The proportion year to year is almost always the same. Even after the FTA.

I was surprised to see that nothing much changed after we officially chained ourselves to the US in trade. After such an imbalanced history why would we commit ourselves to more of the same?

It appears not too much thought went into the agreement (on our part anyway). Maybe our PM at the time, in awe of George Bush, was bamboozled. Same with the purchase of the fighter planes.

We seem to have a knack of signing trade agreements with countries we can't compete with.

[AiA in Atlanta]

The TPP will further liberalize trade but it seems odd that Australia would join this agreement which seeks to counterbalance China ... but maybe not. There is something I am not seeing. Maybe China will trade with Australia whatever agreements it enters into ...

[Rorschach]

I do wish you'd stop with everything is Howard's fault mantra... it makes you sound psychotic.

We have agreements with a number of countries, not all like the US.

AiA we are either now in an FTA with China or will be quite soon.
I have no doubt they will out manoeuvre us too mantra, after all the idea is to work for your own country's advantage.

http://www.dfat.gov.au/fta/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mantra]

I do wish you'd stop with everything is Howard's fault mantra... it makes you sound psychotic.

Can you explain logically why you believe we signed up with the US on this FTA? If you can - then I might believe you're sane.

We have agreements with a number of countries, not all like the US.

AiA we are either now in an FTA with China or will be quite soon.
I have no doubt they will out manoeuvre us too mantra, after all the idea is to work for your own country's advantage.

Gillard is signing us onto a TPP with Asia - not Howard and I didn't say otherwise. Try and read what I write for a change. These FTA's don't appear to be to our benefit whatsoever. The purpose is to drag us into line with all the third world and developing countries - open borders, open slather foreign investment, free movement of people, deregulation and no tariff barriers (at least on our part).

It stinks for us.

We began negotiations with China for an FTA in 2005, although I'm not sure whether we've fully signed off on it yet. Our shops are flooded with cheap Chinese rubbish - so who knows?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is a viable pathway for realising the vision of a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific. This agreement will build on the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (P4) between Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, which entered into force in 2006.

The TPP includes the P4 Parties as well as Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the USA and Vietnam.

The Australian Government will pursue a TPP outcome that eliminates or at least substantially reduces barriers to trade and investment. The TPP is more than a traditional trade agreement; it will also deal with behind-the-border impediments to trade and investment.

[AiA in Atlanta]

I do wish you'd stop with everything is Howard's fault mantra... it makes you sound psychotic.

We have agreements with a number of countries, not all like the US.

AiA we are either now in an FTA with China or will be quite soon.
I have no doubt they will out manoeuvre us too mantra, after all the idea is to work for your own country's advantage.

http://www.dfat.gov.au/fta/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The TPP is a counterbalance to China. Japanese Prime Minister Abe made that clear just this week.

[Rorschach]

Counterbalance? I doubt it.
FTAs are obviously more relevant than it will be re trade AiA.

mantra... honestly so I'm not sane. Should I have called you psychotic instead of just sounding psychotic. You never learn do you.
According to you everything is Howard's fault.

The US have a large manufacturing base.
We have always traded with the US.
They are allies.
They are western.
They are a democracy.
They have similar beliefs.
They are a world power.

FTAs are/were a flavour of the month supported by both major parties and the bureaucracy.
If you actually read the info in the link I provided most of your questions would be answered.

Fair trade not free trade if you actually believed in that you'd have voted One Nation.

[AiA in Atlanta]

Counterbalance? I doubt it.
FTAs are obviously more relevant than it will be re trade AiA.

It is a counterbalance and is meant to be a counterbalance and will continue to be a counterbalance until China joins.

[mantra]

It is a counterbalance and is meant to be a counterbalance and will continue to be a counterbalance until China joins.

China isn't good enough to join at the moment. I can't see them giving into the demands of the US.

Meanwhile Kim Jong Un has threatened to shoot missiles over to the US and the marines are getting settled into their Australian bases. Haven't we just taken delivery of some super sonic fighter jets?

China has to meet high standards if it wants to join the U.S.-led trade negotiations with Asia Pacific economies, the acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis told CNBC.

"We are open to any Asia Pacific economy who wants to join. When a country is ready to meet the high standards it will be welcome to participate," Marantis told CNBC, when questioned on China's possible involvement in the talks.

Tensions between China and the U.S. over cyber hacking attacks have escalated in recent times. Earlier this month U.S. intelligence leaders named cyber attacks and cyber espionage as the number one security threat facing the U.S. supplanting terrorism.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100575526

[Rorschach]

So says the US of A...

[AiA in Atlanta]

So says the US of A...

So says Japan. So says small southeast Asian countries who are joining as well.