호주가 현재까지 체결한 FTA, BRTA들의 실익이 과대포장되었음을 밝히는 보고서가 나왔다.
호주생산성은 WTO 도하라운드 이후 추구해온 FTA, BRTA들의 성과에 대한 보고서를 지난 금요일 발간했다. FTA에 대한 보고서는 그동안 별로 나온적이 없는데, 인도네시아, 인도의 케이스만 최근 보고된 바 있다. BRTA이후 국가수입이 대단치 않을 정도로(modest) 증가할 것이라고 예측했다.
이 보고서는 호주가 협상완료 후에도 협정에 대해 면밀하고 공개적인 평가를 할 것과, 지적재산권, 투자자-국가간 소송제, 노동기준과 문화적인 문제들에 대한 논의를 지속할 것을 권고하고 있다.
Australian Productivity Council suggests FTA benefits ‘oversold’, recommends greater transparency
No Great Benefits From Free Trade Agreements, Report Says
MELBOURNE, JULY 19 (BERNAMA) – The benefits of free trade agreements between Australia and other nations are oversold, says a report that has found limited business gains from the new accords, the Australian Associated Press reports.
The Australian Productivity Commission Friday released research on Australia’s bilateral and regional trade agreements which are being pursued while the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha round of trade talks stalls.
Before negotiations on the agreements, commonly known as free trade agreements (FTAs), feasibility studies are done – most recently with Indonesia and India.
But commissioner Patricia Scott said they tended to overestimate the likely benefits of the agreement succeeding.
“Great emphasis has been placed on the potential benefits of preferential agreements in advance of negotiating them,” she said. “The commission has found that expectations of the benefits have been optimistic.”
The commission received little evidence that FTAs have led to substantial commercial benefits.
In agriculture, for example, where market access had improved by negotiating reduced tariffs, in some cases, quarantine barriers meant the potential gains couldn’t be realised.
Modelling found agreements would lead only to a “modest” boost to the national income, “especially where member nations were both small economies”.
The report recommends looking at other more cost-effective options to FTAs — for example, services sector-only agreements — that are less comprehensive, yet still meet the WTO’s requirements.
It also recommends independent feasibility studies, and wider consultation in the early stages.
It questions whether the current studies are a good indicator of whether FTA talks should proceed, “let alone whether the modelling in them is helpful for assessing the arrangements finally proposed by the negotiators”.
In the past seven years, Australia has signed FTAs with Singapore, Thailand, the US, Chile and New Zealand, and is negotiating with Malaysia , China, Japan and South Korea.
Three regional deals are also being discussed, including the significant Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would create a giant free trade zone between the US and Asia-Pacific.
The commission wants more feedback from business before Sept 10.
The full draft report from the Productivity Commission can be read here: http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/
