Mr Michael Mugliston, Head Asia Trade Taskforce, Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade, presented at the 8th Malaysia
Australia Joint Business Conference along with his Malaysian
counterpart Mohd Zain Mohd Dom, Ministry of International Trade and
Industry. Both presentations provided an insight into the
MAFTA negotiations with Mr Mugliston highlighting possible market
access gains from the negotiations for industries in both
countries. Mr Mugliston noted that substantial opportunities
could be created through liberalisation of the services
sector. He underscored that Australian companies were not
that large that they would pose a significant challenge to their
Malaysian counterparts, but would be likely to provide niche
services. Elimination and binding tariffs would provide
certainty to companies in both countries.
The paper submitted by Mr Mugliston can be viewed at: Market
Access Opportunities under the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade
Agreement.