INDEX OF AUS-USA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT ISSUES
Full FTA: 23 Chapters with all side letters
Chapter  6: Customs Administration
Chapter  8: Technical Barriers to Trade
Chapter 12: Telecommunications - 12.16 Value Added Services
Chapter 15: Government Procurement
Chapter 16: Electronic Commerce
Chapter 17: Intellectual Property Rights
Chapter 21: Dispute Resolution


2004/08/02	Second e-mail from US confirms US ANSI-X12 Regulation applies to all 
			financial transactions for US Federal, State and Local Government
			Agencies

2004/07/13	First e-mail from US confirming US legislated for ANSI-X12 Standard

2004/04/24	USA States that have signed the Aus-USA-FTA

2004/04/24	Australian States that have signed Aus-USA-FTA

The most striking aspect of all the documentation produced on the Australian - United States 
Free Trade Agreement [Aus-USA-FTA] is how sparse the information is on Chapter 16: Electronic
Commerce.

Neither the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties [JSCOT] Report nor the Senate Aus-USA-FTA 
Inquiry Committee Report uncovered the fact that the US Federal Government has legislated that 
US Federal and State Government Agencies must use the US eCommerce Standard ANSI-X12 for
 Financial Transactions.

Australia and the Rest of the World are committed to adopt the International Standards 
Organsiation [ISO] Standard for E-commerce called EDIFACT or ISO 9735

As at 12 Aug 2004 only US Companies can provide the "Reformating and Re-routing service" from 
ANSI-X12 to ISO 9735.

On the 24 Mar 2004 the National Interest Analysis [NIA] stated that the "Economic Gains would 
be significant". 

However it warned  "The specific rales {sic} and procedures required by the Government
Procurement Chapter will impose costs both in terms of central administration and in the 
conduct of tender processes".

These costs have not been quantified in any of the reports.

At the 2nd Reading of the Bill in the Australian House of Representatives in Canberra on 23
Jun 2004 all the Government speakers stated US Government Procurement is a major benefit for 
Australia with access to the US$ 200 Billion Federal Government Procurement and US$ 200 Billion
State Government Procurement.

There is little if any mention of Electronic Commerce standards that should be used by Federal
and State Government entities that wish to engage in the FTA.

This site has been developed to provide links to various pdf files which have been converted to 
html for fast access for the Public to review.

C	GOVERNMENT REPORTS ON AUS-USA-FTA	

c	2004/08/05	Senate Aus-USA-FTA Inquiry Report - pdf files 

b	2004/06/24	Joint Standing Commitee On Treaties [JSCOT] Inquiry Report - pdf files

a	2004/04/24	National Interest Analysis [NIA] with Reasons why Australia should 
			sign FTA - converted htm files