AUSTRALIA'S free trade agreements have produced little benefit for exporters, according to survey results issued yesterday.
The confidential survey covered 50 companies with export revenues ranging from $40,000 to more than $1 billion, The Australian reports.
The Australian Industry Group will use the findings as part of its submission to the Productivity Commission's study into the effect of FTAs on Australia's trade performance.
The survey found that five years after implementing the much heralded Australia-US FTA, the US market remained difficult for Australian exporters. Almost 80 per cent of respondents said the FTA was not very effective in improving export opportunities, and 85 per cent said it had failed to help in setting up an operation in the US.
As for improving access to US government contracts, 87 per cent rated the FTA's effectiveness as low or having no effect.
And 100 per cent of respondents said it was ineffective in providing access to inward investment in the US.
Similar problems were being experienced with FTAs in other countries.
The FTA with Chile benefited the least, with 71 per cent of respondents reporting no benefits.
The Australia-Thai FTA was rated as the most beneficial, with 44 per cent saying they had benefited from it, compared with 40 per cent for the US, 33 per cent for the New Zealand deal and 31 per cent for the FTA with Singapore.
Read more at The Australian online
