Gillard favours tariff free access to Australian market for poor nations

The Australian Prime Minister, Ms Julia Gillard, on Wednesday promised the poor nations a tariff free access to the country’s market, aimed at reigniting trade liberalisation to restore economic growth in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Perth, Ms Gillard said she wants Australia to “make a difference for the small and medium countries of the world” and the best way to reduce poverty was trade liberalisation.

“Australia will continue the strongest possible commitment to market access for the world’s poorest countries, irrespective of the settlement of other issues in the Doha Round,” Ms Gillard added.

“I pledge that the world’s least developed countries will have access to Australia’s market free of tariffs and quotas for 100 per cent of the goods they export to our country,” she said.

She also urged other countries to follow Australia’s lead ahead of the biennial meeting of trade ministers in Geneva in December.

“These pledges should be unconditional. They shouldn’t be contingent upon the settlement of other issues in the Doha negotiations,” she said, adding Australia was also willing to help lead the global fight against protectionism.

She announced that her government would make a commitment at the World Trade Organisation’s ministerial meeting not to increase protections while the Doha negotiations were at standstill.

“This is an essential policy prescription if an enduring global economic recovery is to be achieved,” she said, adding the Doha trade negotiations needed a new direction.

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