Ministerial Council on International Trade (MCIT)
The final meeting of the Ministerial Council on International Trade (MCIT) was held on 30 June 2010.
This follows the Council of Australian Governments' review of Ministerial Councils (the 'Hawke Review') which recommended that by 31 March 2011, all existing Ministerial Councils should be abolished and that up to 11 new Ministerial Councils should be established. The new councils do not encompass international trade.
During its time in operation, the MCIT established an operational level consultative forum for trade promotion and facilitation issues: the National Trade Development Working Group (NTDWG).
The NTDWG now operates as a stand-alone group to maintain regular consultation between Commonwealth, State and Territory officials, reporting through Agency heads. It is chaired by Austrade with meetings hosted every six months by States and Territories on a rotating basis. Trade policy matters and significant proposals will be referred to Ministers as issues determine.