Australia ratifies free trade deals with India and Britain

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Parliament has passed bilateral free trade agreements with India and Britain, leaving those partner nations to bring the deals into force. Australia needs to diversify its exports from the troubled Chinese market, and Britain has had to forge new bilateral trade relations since it left the European Union. The bills easily passed the House of Representatives on Monday and the Senate made them law on Tuesday. The deals need to be ratified by the respective British and Indian parliaments before they take effect. Neither nation has yet done that. The deals would come into force 30 days after countries have advised each other in writing that the supporting legislation has been passed by their parliaments.