Statement by Heather Ridout
Chief Executive Australian Industry Group

"The completion of the Australia-Chile Free Trade Agreement is a very welcome advance for Australia's bilateral trade agenda at a time of global economic uncertainty and will be very warmly welcomed by Australian industry," Ai Group Chief Executive Heather Ridout said today.

"The Agreement, which comes into force on 6 March 2009, is comprehensive and adds to the web of free trade agreements signed by Australia in recent years designed to push forward our exporting opportunities.

"In today's difficult economic conditions and after the virtual collapse of the Doha Round of global trade talks, Australian industry needs fair and open access to as many markets as possible.

"The Australia-Chile Bilateral Business Committee, which is chaired by Ai Group, is working to foster industry, trade and commercial links between the two countries to ensure that Australian industry is best-placed to take advantage of this agreement.

"We would encourage Australian businesses looking for new markets to examine how they can potentially take advantage of this new Free Trade Agreement," Mrs Ridout said. 



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