Trade agreements
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the Australian Government agency that has primary responsibility for negotiating international trade agreements. The Australian Attorney-General's Department works closely with DFAT in providing input to these negotiations, particularly in areas of interest to this Department.
International trade agreements are generally negotiated at any one of the following three levels:
- Multilateral level under the umbrella of the World Trade Organisation
- Regional level through organisational structures such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and
- Bilateral level by negotiating preferential free trade agreements and the like with key trading partners.
The Australian Government's Free Trade Agreement dedicated webpage can be found at www.fta.gov.au.
Information regarding Australia's Trade Policy can also be found on the DFAT website.