Trade and investment
Free trade agreements (FTAs) are a vital part of Australia's continued economic growth.
FTAs are treaties between two or more countries designed to reduce or eliminate certain barriers to trade and investment, and to facilitate stronger trade and commercial ties between participating countries.
Australia has 18 FTAs with 30 economies. Australia is negotiating new bilateral and regional FTAs.
More about free trade agreements
- The benefits of FTAs
- How to get free trade agreement tariff cuts
- Look up FTA tariffs and services market access – DFAT FTA Portal
- DFAT's role in FTA negotiations
- Free Trade Advantage online platform
Why are FTAs good for Australia?
Free trade agreements help boost economic and job growth in Australia, and deliver new growth opportunities to big and small Australian businesses through greater trade and investment. Australian consumers and businesses also benefit from improved access to an wider range of competitively priced imported goods and services. Read more about the benefits of FTAs.
Which countries does Australia have FTAs with?
Australia has 18 FTAs and working toward increasing the number of FTAs in force.
Australia's FTA modernisation agenda
To ensure our FTAs remain fit for purpose the Australian Government is progressing a comprehensive review of our FTAs in Southeast Asia with a view to strengthening our trade and investment with economies in the region.
The review will identify priorities for potential upgrade negotiations to support Australian industry expand and realise new opportunities for trade and investment in the region to 2040.
As part of the review, the department is providing grants to support Australian peak industry bodies, representative organisations and research institutions conduct research and analysis to feed insights, recommendations and priorities directly to the government.
The department is also inviting submissions from industry and the Australian community on opportunities for improved utilisation, upgrade and modernisation of Australia’s network of FTAs in Southeast Asia.
For more information visit:
- Southeast Asian Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) upgrade and modernisation agenda
- Call for submissions to the Southeast Asia Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) modernisation review
- Southeast Asia Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) Modernisation Grant Program
FTAs and the World Trade Organization
As a member and strong supporter of the WTO, Australia upholds legal trade disciplines in relation to its FTAs to ensure they are of the highest quality and support the international trading system. The Australian Government considers these standards as essential to all potential FTA participants and will not enter into trade agreements that fall short of the benchmarks set by the WTO or the benchmarks we set ourselves. Under WTO rules FTAs must:
- eliminate tariffs and other restrictions on 'substantially all the trade' in goods between its member countries, and
- eliminate substantially all discrimination against service suppliers from member countries (helping to increase trade in services).
This ensures Australia's FTA are comprehensive in their scope and result in the best possible outcomes for Australia.
How can businesses take advantage of Australia's FTAs?
Taking advantage of our FTAs with other countries offers numerous benefits for businesses, including those businesses looking to import and export.
Find out how to use FTAs.