
Free trade agreements provide a framework for Australia’s commercial relationship with trading partners, increase trade and investment opportunities, bring money into the Australian economy and help create jobs.
As Asia’s rapid economic growth continues, closer trade ties with major Asian economies are essential to Australia’s continued prosperity.
Australia pursues high-quality, comprehensive trade agreements when they offer net benefits to Australia, are World Trade Organization-consistent and support the global trade system.
Existing free trade agreements
Australia has entered into 14 FTAs with both individual countries and groups of countries. The countries covered by these FTAs account for almost 70% of Australia’s total trade.1 These FTAs are helping Australians access new markets and expand trade in existing markets.
- the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (with New Zealand) – AANZFTA
- Chile – AClFTA
- China – ChAFTA
- Hong Kong – A-HKFTA
- Indonesia – IA-CEPA
- Japan – JAEPA
- Korea – KAFTA
- Malaysia – MAFTA
- New Zealand – ANZCERTA/CER
- Peru – PAFTA
- Singapore – SAFTA
- Thailand – TAFTA
- US – AUSFTA
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership – CPTPP
China-Australia Free Trade Agreement – ChAFTA, Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement – JAEPA, and Korean-Australia Free Trade Agreement – KAFTA are relatively new trade agreements. Together these 3 economies represent over half of Australia’s exports.
1Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2020, ‘Queensland Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan’, https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/Pages/trade-agreements, accessed August 2020.
Free trade agreements in negotiation
Australia is currently engaged in other FTA negotiations, including:
- 1 FTA concluded, but not yet in force:
- 7 FTAs under negotiation:
- 1 prospective FTA to be negotiated:
Free trade agreement resources
TIQ PDF resources
- CHAFTA - 4 Steps For Your Business –26 August 2016 [pdf, 0.8 MB]
- China-Australia Free Trade Agreement –26 August 2016 [pdf, 2.1 MB]
- Japan Australia Economic Partnership Agreement –26 August 2016 [pdf, 0.5 MB]
- Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement –26 August 2016 [pdf, 0.5 MB]