Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's report entitled Report 198: European Union tariff-rate quotas following withdrawal of the United Kingdom.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—Today I rise to make a statement on report 198 of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. This report deals with an agreement connected with the UK's withdrawal from the European Union and the allocation of tariff rate quotas vis-a-vis Australia as part of that arrangement. Formally it's known as the Agreement in the Form of an Exchange of Letters Between the European Union and the Commonwealth of Australia Pursuant to Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 Relating to the Modification of Concessions on all the Tariff-rate Quotas Included in the EU Schedule CLXXV as a Consequence of the United Kingdom's Withdrawal from the European Union.

This proposed agreement reapportions the EU's WTO tariff rate quotas following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, or Brexit. The tariff quota reapportionment applies to beef, sheepmeat, sugar and cheese, and the proposed agreement also removes a non-tariff barrier for rice.

The proposed agreement does not expand market access for Australian producers and exporters, but it does preserve market access, provide tariff rate quotas better aligned with industry preferences and provide commercial certainty to industry in advance of the new quota administration.

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties is satisfied the proposed agreement is in Australia's national interest and recommends binding treaty action be taken. On behalf of the committee, I commend the report to the House.