The Australian Federal Government will not support any ban on the purchase of China-made goods, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith (seen here) said.
The NSW Government reportedly will use its Budget to announce a policy aimed at protecting local jobs by giving preference to locally-made products.
The protectionist measure would apply to all goods and services not included under existing free trade agreements according to The Australian
Stephen Smith told Australian Sky News, ‘This is not the time for Australia to retreat to protectionism.’
‘Any local procurement policy would have to be consistent with Australia’s obligations to the World Trade Organisation.
‘What we can’t do is focus in a discriminatory way on one particular nation, whoever that nation might be.’