US threatens Free Trade Agreement

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Dry Rot

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Thread starter #5
Surprise, surprise... from

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1218583.htm



US throws free trade deal launch into doubt

The US ambassador to Australia has cast doubt on whether the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will take effect in January as planned.
Ambassador Tom Schieffer says the enabling legislation passed by the Australian Parliament and the US Congress has to be reviewed.
"We're waiting for the letters from the two governments to certify that both governments are in compliance," he said.
"We have ways to go."
He says the major sticking points are amendments that Labor introduced to prevent big pharmaceutical companies from keeping cheaper generic drugs off the market.
Ambassador Schieffer says the US is concerned about the move to penalise pharmaceutical companies for frivolous patent applications.
"Our concern in that regard is that if you can do that for pharmaceuticals then you could do that for software packages, or auto parts, or any number of any other things," he said.
"In that way set up an artificial trade barrier, which is what the free trade agreement is trying to get away from."
Trade Minister Mark Vaille says he hopes the deal can still take effect on January 1.
 

DaveW

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#7
Just hold off introducing the agreement for a further six months. Then let the government controlled senate remove any of those silly amendments that might have been in Australia's interests.
 

timelord

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#9
Looks to me like the US is scaremongering to get their own petty way. I hope the ALP locks onto that pronto and makes sure that the FTA goes through as planned (as Mark Vaille indicated).
 

timelord

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#11
Mightn't be a bad idea either - given that we aren't ready for free trade with the US until we eliminate our debt! (And I'm talking about the debt Keating left when he was ousted).
 

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Mr Q

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#12
Dry Rot said:
Ambassador Schieffer says the US is concerned about the move to penalise pharmaceutical companies for frivolous patent applications.
"Our concern in that regard is that if you can do that for pharmaceuticals then you could do that for software packages, or auto parts, or any number of any other things," he said.
Huh? Protecting frivolous patent applications? Sounds to me almost protectionist in its nature....

If the patent application is frivolous, then surely its a barrier to open competition and the free market that apparently is the benefit of free trade?

Dry Rot said:
"In that way set up an artificial trade barrier, which is what the free trade agreement is trying to get away from."
Isn't a frivolous patent application a fair attempt (by a company) to set up an artificial trade barrier against its competition? Surely the US would be better off following our lead in attempting to prevent frivolous patents rather than trying to enforce them on their "free trade" partners.
 

kirky

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#14
BlueMark said:
Why don't we be done with it and sell the country to the Yanks, then I can take my share and retire to a beach up north.
Yeh, lets become the 51st state that way we don't have to be treated with interrogation ala criminals when entering the United States. Viva, Las Vegas!!!!!
 
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