农业与食品加工业

中国是澳大利亚农副产品的最大出口市场，2013年总值达到了约90亿澳元。

虽然贸易一直在增长，但该市场仍然有着许多利润更高的贸易机会。澳大利亚资源经济与科学署预测在2050年，中国对农副产品的需求将占据全世界总额的43%。

中澳自由贸易协定为澳洲提供了一个成为超越包括美国、加拿大、和欧盟在内的主要农产品提供者的优势。同时也缩小了智利与新西兰在对中国出口农产品上的优势。这两国分别在2006年和2008年与中国达成了自由贸易协定。

澳洲政府确认了在农业和食品方面的如下决定：

· 所有乳制品的关税(有时高达20%)将在4－11年内逐渐取消

· 牛肉的关税（12%-25%）将在9年内取消

· 活畜出口关税（10%）将在4年内取消

· 羊肉关税（12%-23%）将在8年内取消

· 酒类关税（14%-20%）将在4年内取消

· 园艺产品关税（上至30%）将大多在4年内取消

· 大麦关税（3%）将立即取消

· 除继续享有已存在的WTO羊毛关税配额，澳大利亚将享有一定数量的专属羊毛出口配额

· 海鲜关税（包括岩龙虾的15%与鲍鱼的14%）将在4年内取消

· 包括果汁和蜂蜜在内的一系列加工食品关税将取消

· 动物皮毛关税（5%-14%）将在2-7年内逐渐取消

该协定没有改变澳大利亚的立足风险的检疫机制。

作为2001年加入世贸协会的条件之一，中国已经就大米、谷物、棉花和糖的进口给出了大量低关税配额、并且没有对澳洲的出口商使用这些配额设限（尽管如此，澳洲并不具检疫许可大米的市场准入）。

中国至今还未在任何已达成的自由贸易协定中对这些产品进行进一步的放宽，这是因为这些产品高度敏感的属性。基于同样的考虑，中国也未同意澳洲或是其任何竞争对手享有油菜籽或植物油的额外份额。但是中国已同意在该协定生效的三年后建立评审机制来就包括市场准入等方面进行评审。

资源，能源和制造业

2013年，澳洲出口中国的资源，能源及制造业产品总额达到850亿澳元，占据了澳洲该产品出口总额的40%。一旦中澳自由贸易协议签署，92.9%的澳洲资源，能源及制造业产品将免除关税进入中国，并在未来4年内最终实现99.9%的相关产品免税。

在资源、能源和制造业，澳洲政府取得了以下成果：

· 所有资源及能源产品都免税，炼焦煤关税（炼钢所用，可达3%）将从协议第一天实施起免税，非炼焦煤关税（发电所用能源煤，6%）将在两年内取消。

· 变形资源和能源产品免税，如精铜和合金（1%或2%），氧化铝（8%），镍锍和氧化物（3%），未锻造锌（3%），铜废碎料（1.5%），未锻造铝（5%或7%），铝废碎料（1.5%），未锻造镍（3%），其他矿产品（3%或5%）和二氧化钛（6.5%或10%）。许多在协议生效之时开始执行免税。

· 药物方面的免税高达10%，包括维他命和保健产品，在4年内免税或者被淘汰。

· 其他制造业产品在四年内免税，包括汽车发动机（可征税10%），塑料制品（6.5%-14%），钻石和其他宝石（3%-8%），矫形器（4%），铝板及铝片（6%-10%），化妆品和发制品（6.5%-15%），离心机（10%）和珍珠（21%）

自贸协定通过为诸如铁矿石、金、原油和液化天然气等主要出口原料锁定零关税为澳洲的出口商增加了安全感。

该协定提高了非关税措施(NTMs)的透明度，从而确保这些措施不会对双边贸易造成不必要的阻碍。将来还会建立以个例评估为基础的特殊机制来审核与公布这些非关税措施。

该协定保障了澳洲生产商享受WTO协定规定的贸易救济的权利，其中包括反倾销与反补贴措施。

服务业

中国是澳大利亚服务业最大的消费市场，2013年澳洲对中国出口了价值将近70亿澳元的服务类产品。

在该次自贸协定中，中国对澳洲给出了签订自贸易协定以来给出过的最惠待遇（除了中国与香港和澳门达成的协议之外）。更重要的是，对澳洲的银行，保险公司，证券与期货机构，律师事务所及专业服务公司、教育服务输出行业，以及健康、养老、建筑、制造、电信服务等多个行业，中国都将前所未有地改善和提高市场准入机会。

服务业如今构成了72%的澳洲经济活动。该协定保证了澳洲的服务性企业能够进入全世界发展最迅速的服务市场中的重要领域。该协定中包括了一个框架协议，从而增进双方对服务质量的认知，并由中澳双方的专业机构来支持这种互相认知。

法律服务行业

澳洲的律师事务所将能在上海的自由贸易区和中国的律师事务所建立商业联盟。这种联盟可以以商业机构的形式提供有关澳洲、中国或国际法律服务，其客户将不受地域限制。

金融服务行业

中国承诺为澳洲的银行、保险、基金管理、证券、证券化产品及期货领域的金融服务提供商带来新的优化的市场准入机制。

随着中国推进经济改革与经济自由化，将来的工作会放在为金融服务产业带来持续的市场准入机会。

此外，中国与澳洲政府在11月17日签署备忘录，将在悉尼建立人民币清算行，首次允许澳洲市场的人民币交易，这一举措提高了跨境人民币交易效率。

教育服务行业

协定签署后的一年内，中国将在其教育部官网上列出所有通过CRICOS注册的澳洲私立高等院校。

• 在现有的105所教育机构的基础上再增加77所机构、为潜在的中国留学生提供更专业可靠的信息来源。中国留学生占澳洲目前留学生市场的29%、对澳洲经济的贡献达40亿。

此外，澳洲与中国亦将持续推进以下两个项目：

· 促进两国的师生交流

· 扩大澳洲教育机构在中国的招生与市场机会

电信服务行业

• 中国同意澳洲公司在上海自由贸易区内投资电信增值服务，并且改善外资限制、允许澳洲全资公司提供DMPC服务、应用存储服务、存储转发服务和呼叫中心服务。

旅游及旅游相关服务行业

· 中国允许澳洲服务行业供应商在中国建造、翻新及运营澳洲独资旅馆及餐馆。

· 澳洲旅行社也能够在中国建立澳洲独资子公司可直接向中外游客提供中国境内旅游及住宿服务。

健康及老年护理服务行业

• 中国自由贸易协定对澳洲医院和老年护理方面给出了最有利的条件，允许澳大利亚企业在中国建立澳洲独资医院和老年护理机构。这一举措极大地扩展了私人健康领域在东亚提供医疗服务的范围。

建筑及工程服务行业

• 中国将为在上海与中国合作建筑工程的澳洲企业开放新的市场。中国将会免除对澳洲企业的商业范围限制，允许它们承接更多具有商业意义的工程项目。

制造服务行业

• 这是中国签署的第一个关于制造服务的自由贸易协定，确保澳大利亚独资公司有机会提供各类制成品的代工服务。

采矿及采掘工业服务行业

· 在此项史上最惠自由贸易协定中，中国允许澳洲服务供应商提供关于煤层甲烷及页岩气开采的技术咨询和现场服务。

· 中国也保证澳洲公司在与中国公司合作时，可以提供关于开采石油和天然气资源、及铁、铜、锰资源的咨询服务。

建筑及城市规划服务行业

• 这是中国根据自由贸易协定所给出的最惠待遇，中国在评估相关高级资质申请时，会将澳洲建筑和城市规划公司的澳洲相关经验考虑在内，给予这些公司更多取得在中国合法承接高价值项目的商业执照的机会。

运输服务行业

· 这是中国根据自由贸易协定所给出的最惠待遇，中国将允许澳大利亚海运供应商在上海自由贸易区建立澳洲独资的船舶管理公司。

· 中国就航空运输服务给予澳大利亚的最惠待遇不输于此前任何自由贸易协定的待遇，主要包括地面管理覆盖范围，机场运营和专业航空服务。

其它服务行业

• 中国最新做出承诺，允许澳大利亚供应商包括驻扎在中国的澳洲独资子公司提供一系列的服务，包括软件推行和研发，与生产相关的服务，楼宇保洁，印刷包装材料，笔译和口译服务，房地产和环保服务，这些服务服务将使供应商从中获益。

商业和技术人员流动行业

在中澳保证各自的移民和雇佣框架的前提下，中澳自由贸易协定将通过减少人口流动屏障，改善临时入境者途径来支持贸易和投资增长。

中澳自由贸易协定将放宽对中澳技术人员、投资者和商务旅客的限制，大力支持投资和贸易。新的投资便利化计划（IFAs）将会在现有澳大利亚签证制度的框架下实施，将使公司对特有的经济和劳动力市场挑战做出更加灵活的回应。投资便利化计划适用于超过1.5亿澳元的大型基础设施项目，将促进此领域的投资、增加工作机会、提升所有澳洲人民的经济前景。

投资业

中国在澳大利亚的投资从10年前的3亿澳元急速上涨到今天的320亿澳元。目前在澳的中国投资规模与在美国的几乎持平。另一方面以澳洲的银行和财富管理机构为首的越来越多澳洲企业也进入了中国市场、并取得了巨大成功，中澳自贸协定必将为两国带来积极影响。

该协议还将促进中国对澳洲的投资增长。外国投资审查委员会（FIRB）对于非敏感行业降低了投资审查门槛。对中国的私企来说，必须被外国投资审查委员会的审查的门槛金额从2.48亿澳元上升到了10.08亿澳元。

对于传媒，电讯，国防等高敏感度行业，澳大利亚自由党实践了其竞选诺言——即使是低投资额度澳大利亚政府仍旧会严格审核。私营企业投资价值超过1500万澳元的农业用地将会面临FIRB的审查，对农业企业超过5300万澳元的投资也将受到该审查。

外国投资审查委员仍旧会严格审核所有中国国有企业的投资，无论投资额大小。自由贸易协定的签署不会在任何方面改变此类规则。

该协议规定的投资责任可以通过一项投资者与政府间的争议解决机制（ISDS）直接被中国与澳洲投资者强制执行，其目的是增加投资者信心。该项机制包括一些保障措施，以保障政府在涉及公众利益的领域依法监管的能力，并追求诸如公共健康、社会安全和环境等正当的公众福利目标。

一系列的市场准入承诺将允许众多澳洲服务行业在中国建立商业机构提供服务，对澳洲服务行业来说这代表着投资环境的重大改善。

打工度假安排

与自由贸易协定同时进行的关于“打工度假安排” (WHA)的谈判也已完成，澳大利亚每年将向中国提供上至5000个打工度假签证名额。WHA将增加对旅游服务行业的需求并支持澳洲旅游行业、特别是乡村地区的旅游行业发展。

其他成果

协议所包含的其他决定有：

· 搭建中澳电商的发展框架

· 确保现有的国际知识产权并进一步发展合作

· 确保相关政府机构就竞争政策保持合作与沟通

· 为未来澳大利亚进入中国政府采购市场提供协商空间

· 促进贸易通关的简化流程

信息来源：澳大利亚外交贸易部 http://dfat.gov.au/fta/chafta/

CHINA AUSTRALIA FREE TRADEAGREEMENT - KEY OUTCOMES

Agriculture andprocessed food

China buys more of Australia’s agricultural produce than anyother market. In 2013, this market was worth around $9 billion to Australian farmers and the broader agricultural sector.

Trade is growing strongly, but there are opportunities forgreater and more profitable trade. The Australian Bureau of Resource Economicsand Sciences predicts China will account for 43 per cent of all growth world-wide in agricultural demand to 2050.

ChAFTA provides Australia with an advantage over our major agricultural competitors, including the United States, Canada and the European Union. It also counters the advantage Chile and New Zealand currently enjoy through their FTAs with China reached in 2006 and 2008.

In agriculture and food, the Australian Government has secured:

• The removal of all tariffs on our dairy products (which can be as high as 20 per cent) within fourto 11 years.

• The removal oftariffs of 12 to 25 percent on beef over nine years.

• The removal oftariffs on live animal exports of 10 per cent within four years.

• The removal oftariffs on sheepmeat of 12 to 23 per cent over eight years.

• The removal oftariffs of 14 to 20 per cent on wine over four years.

• The removal of tariffs on all horticulture products, ranging up to 30 per cent, most within four years.

• The immediate elimination of the three per cent tariff on barley.

• An Australia-only duty free quota for wool in addition to continued access to China’s WTO wool quota.

• The removal oftariffs on seafood, including of 15 and 14 per cent respectively on rock lobster and abalone, over four years.

• The removal oftariffs across a range of processed foods including fruit juice and honey.

• The removal oftariffs of 5 to 14 per cent on hides, skins and leather over two to seven years. There are no changes to Australia’s risk-based quarantine measures as aresult of ChAFTA.

As part of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001,China already allows generous imports of rice, wheat, cotton and sugar with generally low tariffs imposed within a quota. Australian exporters have unrestricted access to these allowances (not withstanding, Australia does nothave technical quarantine market access for rice).

China has not provided further liberalisation of these products in any of its FTAs, on the basis they are significantly sensitive staples. It has also not granted Australia, or any of our competitors,additional access for rapeseed and vegetable oils, on the same basis. However, China has agreed to a built-in review process three years after entry into force to review the Agreement, including market access.

Resources, Energy andManufacturing

In 2013, Australia exported over $85 billion worth of resources, energy and manufactured products to China. On entry into force ofthe Agreement, 92.9 per cent of China’s current imports of these products from Australia will enter duty free, with most remaining tariffs removed within fouryears. On full implementation of the Agreement, 99.9 per cent of Australia’scurrent resources, energy and manufacturing exports will enjoy duty free entryinto China.

In resources, energy and manufacturing, the Australian Government has secured:

• The removal of tariffs on all resources and energy products: including on coking coal(metallurgical coal for steel making) (currently subject to a 3 per cent tariff) on the first day of the Agreement, and non-coking coal (thermal/steamcoal for power generation) (6 per cent) within two years.

• The removal oftariffs on transformed resources and energy products, such as refined copperand alloys (unwrought) (currently subject to 1 and 2 per cent tariffs),aluminium oxide (alumina) (8 per cent), nickel mattes and oxides (3 per cent),unwrought zinc (3 per cent), copper waste and scrap (1.5 per cent), unwrought aluminium (5 and 7 per cent tariffs), aluminium waste and scrap (1.5 per cent),unwrought nickel (3 per cent), other mineral substances (3 and 5 per cent tariffs),and titanium dioxide (6.5 and 10 per cent tariffs) - many upon the Agreement entering into force.

• The removal of tariffs of up to 10 per cent on pharmaceuticals, including vitamins and health products, either on entry into force or phased out over four years.

• The removal of tariffs within four years for other manufactured products, including carengines (currently subject to a 10 per cent tariff), plastic products (6.5 to14 per cent), diamonds and other precious stones (3 and 8 per cent tariffs),orthopaedic appliances (4 per cent), aluminium plates and sheets (6 and 10 percent), make-up and hair products (6.5 to 15 per cent), centrifuges (10 percent) and pearls (21 per cent).

ChAFTA provides greater certainty for Australian exportersby locking-in zero tariffs on major exports such as iron ore, gold, crudepetroleum oils, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

ChAFTA improves the transparency of non-tariff measures(NTMs) and ensures such measures do not create unnecessary obstacles tobilateral trade. A specific mechanism to review and address NTMs on a case-by-case basis will be established.

ChAFTA preserves full access for Australian producers to trade remedies available under the WTO, including anti-dumping andcountervailing measures.

Services

China is Australia’s largest services market, with exportsin services valued at $7 billion in 2013.

In ChAFTA, China has offered Australia its best ever services commitments in an FTA (other than China’s agreements with Hong Kongand Macau). Most valuably, this includes new or significantly improved market access for Australian banks, insurers, securities and futures companies, law firms and professional services suppliers, education services exporters, aswell as health, aged care, construction, manufacturing and telecommunications services businesses in China.

Today, services constitute around 72 per cent of Australia’seconomic activity. The Agreement guarantees existing market access for Australian services suppliers in a wide range of other priority sectors in oneof the world’s fastest growing services markets. ChAFTA includes a framework toadvance mutual recognition of services qualifications and to support mutual recognition initiatives by professional bodies in Australia and China.

Legal services

• Australian lawfirms will be able to establish commercial associations with Chinese law firmsin the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (SFTZ). This will allow them to offer Australian,Chinese and international legal services through a commercial presence, withoutrestrictions on the location of clients.

Financial services

• China has committedto deliver new or improved market access to Australian financial services providers in the banking, insurance, funds management, securities, securitization and futures sectors.

• A future workprogram will deliver on-going market access in the financial services sector as China pushes ahead with economic reform and liberalisation.

• In addition, Chinaand Australia signed, on 17 November, a Memorandum of Understanding designatingan official RMB clearing bank in Sydney, allowing overseas trading of China’scurrency in Australia for the first time, improving the efficiency of cross-border RMB transactions.

Education services

• Within one year of commencement, China will list on an official Ministry of Education website allAustralian private higher education institutions registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

o This will add 77 institutions to the existing 105 Australian institutions on the website providing an important and trusted source of information to potential Chinese students who today make up 29 percent of our international student market, injecting $4 billion to the Australian economy.

• In addition,Australia and China will continue to discuss options to:

o Facilitate student and teacher exchanges between both countries.

o Increase marketing and recruitment opportunities for Australian education providers in China.

Telecommunications services

• China has agreedto guarantee new access for Australian companies investing in value-added telecommunications services in the SFTZ with improved foreign equity limits,now allowing for wholly Australian-owned companies supplying domestic multi-party communication (DMPC) services, application store services, storeand forward services, and call-centre services.

Tourism and travel-related services

• China hasguaranteed that Australian service suppliers will be able to construct,renovate and operate wholly Australian-owned hotels and restaurants in China.

• Australian travel agencies/tour operators are also able to establish wholly Australian-owned subsidiaries in China for tours within China for both domestic and foreign travelers.

Health and aged care services

• In its best everoffer in a FTA on hospitals and aged care, China will permit wholly Australian-owned hospitals and aged care institutions to be established in China. This greatly expands the private health sector’s wide offering of medical services through East Asia.

Construction and engineering services

• China will provide new market access to Australian companies undertaking joint construction projects with Chinese counterparts in Shanghai. Australian companies will be exempted from business scope restrictions, allowing them to undertake a wider range of commercially- meaningful projects.

Manufacturing services

• China has made itsfirst ever FTA commitment on manufacturing services, guaranteeing access forwholly Australian-owned companies to provide contract manufacturing services covering a wide range of manufactured products.

Mining and extractive industry services

• In best-ever FTA commitments, China will allow Australian service suppliers to provide technical consulting and field services in coal bed methane and shale gas extraction.

• China has also guaranteed access for consulting services related to exploiting oil and gas resources, as well as iron, copper and manganese resources in cooperation with Chinese partners.

Architecture and urban planning services

• In the best offerChina has made to a FTA partner, China will take into account Australian experience in assessing applications for higher-level qualifications, allowing Australian architectural and urban planning firms to obtain more expansive business licences to undertake higher-value projects in China.

Transport services

• In the best offer China has made to a FTA partner, China will permit Australian maritime transport service suppliers to establish wholly Australian-owned ship management enterprises in the SFTZ.

• China has also provided Australia commitments equivalent to the best it has provided to anyother trade partner on air transport services, including the coverage of ground handling, airport operation and specialty air services.

Other services sectors

• Australian providers will benefit from new Chinese commitments allowing them to offer arange of services, including through subsidiaries based in China that can be wholly Australian-owned, in the following sectors: software implementation,research and development, services incidental to manufacturing, buildingcleaning, printing of packaging materials, translation and interpretation services, real estate, and environmental services.

Business and skilled worker mobility

ChAFTA will support increased trade and investment betweenthe two countries by reducing barriers to labour mobility and improving temporary entry access within the context of each country’s existing immigration and employment frameworks and safeguards.

ChAFTA will provide improved access for a range ofAustralian and Chinese skilled service providers, investors and business visitors, supporting investment and providing business with greater certainty.Innovative new Investment Facilitation Arrangements (IFAs), which will operatewithin the framework of Australia´s existing visa system, will also provide greater flexibilities for companies to respond to unique economic and labour market challenges. IFAs will be available for large infrastructure projects above $150 million, strengthening investment in this key area andleading to the creation of jobs and increased economic prosperity for all Australians.

Investment

Chinese investment in Australia has been growing strongly in recent years up from $3billion, 10 years ago, to around $32 billion today. Total Chinese investment in Australia is now nearly as much as the totalChinese investment in the United States. Increasing numbers of Australian businesses are entering

the Chinese market with great success, with banking and wealth management the leadingsector of Australian direct investment in China. ChAFTA improves opportunities for investors in bothcountries.

ChAFTA will promote further growth of Chinese investment into Australia, in particular by raising the screening threshold at which investments in non-sensitive sectors by private sector entities from China are considered by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) from $248 million to$1,078 million.

The Government has retained the ability to screen Chinese investments at lower thresholds for sensitive sectors, including: media,telecommunications and defence-related industries. Consistent with the promise made by the Coalition at the last election, the Government will be able to screen investment proposals by private investors from China in agricultural land valued from $15 million and agribusiness from $53 million.

FIRB will continue to screen all investment by Chinese State-Owned Enterprises, regardless of the transaction size. ChAFTA does not change these arrangements in any way.

The investment obligations in ChAFTA can be enforced directly by Australian and Chinese investors through an Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism, helping to promote investor confidence. The ISDS mechanism includes safeguards to protect governments’ ability to regulate in the public interest and pursue legitimate public welfare objectives such as public health, safety and the environment.

A range of China’s services market access commitments relating to the delivery of services in China through the establishment of acommercial presence represent a significant improvement in the investment environment for Australian services firms.

Work and Holiday Arrangement

Alongside ChAFTA, Australia and China have also completed negotiations on a Work and Holiday Arrangement (WHA) under which Australia will grant visas for up to 5,000 Chinese work and holiday makers annually. The WHA will increase demand for tourism services and support the development of Australia´s tourism sector, particularly in rural Australia.

Other outcomes

ChAFTA includes additional commitments which:

• Provide aframework for the growth of electronic commerce between Australia and China.

• Reaffirm existinginternational intellectual property obligations and provide a framework forfuture cooperation.

• Promote cooperation and coordination between relevant agencies on competition policy.

• Provide for future negotiations on access to China’s government procurement market.

• Facilitate tradethrough streamlined customs processes.

Source: http://dfat.gov.au/fta/chafta/