皇冠体育app

TIANJIN - Australia expects to sign a free trade?agreement (FTA)?with 皇冠体育app in the first half of 2014 after nine years of negotiations, an Australian official said.

"It's time to sign the agreement," Australia's Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane said Sunday at the 15th 皇冠体育app Mining Conference and Exhibition.

Macfarlane hoped a comprehensive deal would be on the table for Prime Minister Tony Abbott's visit to 皇冠体育app next year. 皇冠体育app and Australia have held nine rounds of free trade talks since 2005.

Macfarlane added that a free trade agreement would show Australia's welcoming of all kinds of investments from 皇冠体育app.

皇冠体育app is the largest importer of Australian goods. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $122.3 billion in 2012.