International Trade Policy Practice
ITS Global analyses trends in international trade and trade agreements, barriers and laws. It advises on services and agriculture and new trade agenda issues (investment, intellectual property, labour and environment). It also assesses market access opportunities and prepares business strategies.
Highlights
Supporting Australia’s free trade agreements with North Asian partners
ITS Global has established Asia Business Focus (www.asiabusinessfocus.com), a business coalition which seeks a positive result for Australian business from the Australia-China, Australia-Japan and Australia-South Korea FTAs. The group's activities include advocacy, research and representation. Asia Business Focus replaced the China Business Focus group in February 2009.
Independent Peer Review: Malaysia’s progress toward APEC’s trade and investment goals
Principal Consultant Kristen Bondietti and Mr Jaime Garcia from ConsultAndes, Peru, recently completed an independent comprehensive report on Malaysia’s progress toward APEC’s trade and investment goals for the period 2005 - 2008. The report was prepared as part of the APEC Peer Review process, where APEC country Individual Action Plans (IAP) toward the APEC Bogor Goals are reviewed by independent experts and shared among APEC countries and the broader public. The report was presented at the APEC Senior Officials Meeting in Singapore in February.
Inconsistencies in the treatment of foreign investment in Australia’s FTAs
Kristen Bondietti prepared a paper for the Institute of Public Affairs, published by the Australian APEC Study Centre, on the inconsistent treatment of foreign investment in Australia’s five bilateral free trade agreements; New Zealand (CER), Thailand, Singapore, Chile and the United States. The paper, will be forthcoming in a book.
Developing countries - Advancing or Arresting Development in the Doha Round
Developing countries with a relatively insignificant share of global trade are playing a significant role in guiding the Doha Round but are they advancing or arresting development? A report by Kristen Osborne was prepared for the Australian APEC Study Centre and released at the WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong. The paper can be accessed at the Australian APEC Study Centre website.
WTO Hong Kong - make trade free
As Chairman of WorldGrowth, Alan Oxley attended the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong in December 2005. His report, "Make Trade Free - How the Doha Round can reduce poverty", explains why trade needs to be made free". Click here for the report.
Improving policy analysis and policy making in international trade in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand
In conjunction with Cardno ACIL, ITS Global is managing a three-year AusAID funded program to build trade policy and research capacity in WTO and regional free trade agreements in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The Trade Analysis and Reform Project (TARP) is aimed at enhancing the benefits to each country of its engagement with the WTO.
International Trade Review for the pork industry
ITS Global was asked to contribute to a key plank of the Australian pork industry’s restructuring plan. The contributing report enabled the industry to engage and educate Government and stakeholders on the trade interests of the pigmeat industry in bilateral, regional and multilateral negotiations; opportunities where changes in regulation are likely to create market access opportunities for Australian pork; and situations where the risk of adverse changes in regulation appears likely to restrict significant markets for Australian pigmeat.
Review of leading issues in trade and investment in minerals between Australia and India
For the Australian minerals industry, ITS Global identified barriers to trade in goods, services and investment between India and Australia, focusing on Australian outwards trade and investment in the minerals industry.
Australian wool in China
ITS Global consultants have been working with the wool industry since early 2005 to analyse and promote the mutual benefits available from liberalisation in the industry. This has involved analysing trade barriers and valuing the impact of these barriers, joint industry activities, as awell as an extended programme of advocacy both in Australia and China.