Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Customs Tariff Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018 is the second bill required to implement the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus). This bill contains amendments to the Customs Tariff Act 1995.

Under PACER Plus, Australia has committed to providing a 'free' rate of customs duty for all eligible goods from the date the agreement enters into force.

This bill implements this commitment by ensuring that only those goods that are subject to an excise-equivalent customs duty are specified in the new schedule of preferential customs duty rates. This is to ensure that these goods are treated consistently with equivalent goods produced in Australia.

The bill also amends several items in schedule 4 to ensure that the scope of these concessional items are maintained.

The amendments contained in this bill complement the amendments to be made to the Customs Act 1901by the Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018, which implements the agreement's rules of origin and related documentary requirements for claiming preferential tariff entry for goods imported from PACER Plus parties other than New Zealand.

2 The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, under the chairmanship of the member for Fadden, has finalised its report on PACER Plus, recommending binding treaty action.

In recognition of our ongoing commitment to the Pacific island countries and the benefits to Australian businesses, we are introducing the implementing legislation at this time.

Debate adjourned.