The automotive industry has called for the Australian Government to continue to consult closely on all relevant issues arising from forthcoming FTA negotiations with China.
FCAI Chief Executive, Peter Sturrock, has said that Australia must approach these negotiations with the objective of securing a comprehensive agreement that will deliver tangible benefits for Australian industry.
“The negotiations need to address a wide range of tariff and non-tariff issues affecting access to the Chinese market for automotive products and services,” Mr Sturrock said.
“In particular, effective protection of intellectual property is a key concern for many companies looking to do business with China. Any agreement must be able to provide Australian industry with strengthened mechanisms to allay these concerns.”
“China is already the third largest automotive market in the world and the pace of recent expansion is set to continue.”
“We believe there will be some good opportunities for Australian industry to take advantage of the continuing growth and investment demands of the Chinese automotive market,” said Mr Sturrock.
Mr Sturrock said, “there should be no illusions, there are some difficult issues to be addressed in these negotiations. The car industry will approach this process with the objective of supporting a comprehensive and successful outcome but we should not overlook the potential risks and competitive challenges that lie ahead.”
“The Australian automotive industry has benefited from very open consultations with Government on other recent FTA negotiations and we urge them to continue to carefully listen to the views of industry as these negotiations get underway,” he said.
For further information contact:
Sheena Ireland, Communications Manager
P: 02 6229 8221
M: 0458 038 555
E: [email protected]