NFF: Don’t mess with Free Trade Agreements

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has today derided any measures that attempt to have key Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) unwound and reiterated the vital role these progressive agreements play in stimulating a healthy Australian economy and agriculture sector.
Unions have this week made calls for the scrapping of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), while the Opposition has stated it would remove or reform Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clauses in a number of other trade agreements.
NFF President, Brent Finlay, said any moves that would compromise or potentially unwind these important and hard-won agreements would be to the detriment of the Australian farm sector and a severe blow to the national economy.
“The thought of these FTAs coming into any sort of jeopardy will be deeply concerning farmers across the country today,” Mr Finlay said.
“Australia’s trade policy has a long bipartisan approach. Decision makers know they are good for agriculture and they are good for the prosperity of the nation and the NFF categorically opposes any measures that would jeopardise any of the FTAs signed over the course of recent years.”
Mr Finlay said recent FTAs, which were strongly supported and advocated for by the NFF, had been estimated to deliver billions of dollars to Australian farmers and agribusinesses.
“Already investments have been made across the agricultural supply chain on the basis of the long-term opportunities created by these FTAs and the scope for industry growth and job creation.
“These agreements were well considered before they were signed and our message to anyone seeking to undermine them is to stop playing politics with what should be a bipartisan policy issue.”