Trade

Australia-UAE Free Trade Deal to Be Done in 2024, Minister Farrell Says

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The Port Botany container terminal in Sydney, Australia.Photographer: Lisa Maree Williams/Bloomberg

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By Ben Westcott

February 22, 2024 at 1:01 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Australia and the United Arab Emirates expect to conclude a free-trade agreement by year’s end, Trade Minister Don Farrell said, while suggesting talks with the European Union and India will remain on hold until after elections.

Farrell is headed to the UAE for discussions on an accord this weekend, in conjunction with the annual World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. The UAE deal is likely to be easier than the fraught negotiations with the EU, Farrell said in an interview ahead of his departure.