Australian Coalition divided over EU free-trade deal

The Australian Coalition is facing internal division over the proposed free-trade agreement with the European Union. Nationals leader Matt Canavan has declared the Coalition's opposition to the deal, which concluded negotiations in March after eight years of discussions. However, Liberal treasury spokesman Tim Wilson clarified that the party has not yet settled on a formal stance as the legislation has not yet reached Parliament.

Business leaders, including Andrew McKellar of the Australian Council of Commerce and Industry, are urging all political parties to support the agreement, warning that losing the opportunity would be difficult to recover. The deal would see Australia remove a 5% tariff on various European imports, including cars, fashion, and food, while the EU would remove tariffs on Australian goods such as dairy, manufactured items, and critical minerals. Australia would also gain tariff-free access to sell 35,000 tonnes of beef to the EU.

Trade Minister Don Farrell has criticized the Coalition's stance, suggesting that defeating the agreement would constitute an “act of economic self harm.”