EXPORTERS have complained that the free-trade deal with the United States has failed to deliver the promised improvements in access to the US market, especially to the government procurement market worth more than $200 billion.
In a survey of exporters conducted by the Australian Industry Group, just 13 per cent of companies said the FTA had been effective in improving access to US government contracts, which was billed as a major growth opportunity for exporters following the deal, The Australian Financial Review reports.
The Ai Group survey of 50 large and small exporting companies also showed there had been only limited benefits from other FTAs with Chile, Singapore and Thailand and the Closer Economic Agreement with New Zealand.
In each case, the majority of respondents - from sectors including manufacturing, construction and the food and beverage industries - reported no benefits from the bilateral trade deals. Only 40 per cent of companies reported benefits from the AUSFTA.
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