Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, hosted France's Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Monsieur le Ministre Nicolas Forissier, in South Australia for the Australia-France Ministerial Trade and Investment Dialogue on 22 April 2026.
- The Ministers underlined Australia and France's commitment to building a closer and stronger bilateral relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and our shared values of liberty, democracy, rule of law and the protection of human rights. They recognised the strategic challenges the Indo-Pacific is facing and the importance of using our partnership to advance peace, stability and prosperity in the region. They reiterated support for the ongoing implementation of the 2023 Australia-France Roadmap and commended cooperation across its three pillars of Defence and Security; Resilience and Climate Action; and Education and Culture. They highlighted the role of flagship projects, including the French-Australian Centre for Energy Transition (FACET). They also highlighted the Roadmap's special emphasis on the South Pacific and its contribution to better connect French territories in the Pacific to their regional environment. The Ministers shared deep concern about the recent escalation in the Middle East and its impact on global supply chains. They noted that Pacific Island countries are uniquely exposed to price volatility, supply chain disruptions and fuel shortages. Ministers welcomed action on priorities both governments have long pursued: diversifying supply chains, reducing dependencies, and strengthening ties with like-minded partners.
- The Ministers emphasised both countries' common view that the rules-based trading system is the best guarantor of openness and predictability for our businesses and important to the economic resilience of our economies. They discussed the necessity to work together to defend and reform this system at a moment when it is facing unprecedented pressure. They recognised that the negative effects of distortive non-market policies and practices and structural trade imbalances in the global economy are at the heart of current trade tensions and are putting immense strain on the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ministers expressed a desire to advance joint efforts towards increased ambition on WTO reforms, including through improving how the WTO makes decisions, as well as updating the WTO rulebook and reinstating a fully-functioning dispute settlement system. They recognised the importance of cooperation in other forums, including the G20, to help reinforce momentum for these efforts. They also praised the launch of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)-European Union (EU) Dialogue in Melbourne in November 2025 and the ongoing collaboration in support of rules-based trade.
- The Ministers warmly welcomed the recent conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive, balanced and commercially-meaningful Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement in March 2026. They noted that the Free Trade Agreement would build on longstanding ties between our economies and send a clear signal of our mutual commitment to open and transparent rules-based trade. The Ministers highlighted opportunities under the Free Trade Agreement for increasing two-way foreign investment, cooperation on critical minerals, and to meet shared net zero ambitions and increasing opportunities for trade diversification.
- The Ministers commended the strength and diversity of the bilateral economic and trade relations between France and Australia. They particularly welcomed bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors that are key to resilience and prosperity, such as infrastructure, transportation, decarbonised energy and critical minerals. They reaffirmed their support to strengthen cross-border investment between France and Australia, especially in shared priority areas such as transportation infrastructure, energy transition, and digital technology, for the benefit of both economies.
- The Ministers were pleased to expand the Dialogue to include discussion on economic security and resilience. They agreed that building strong and resilient economies, underpinned by fair, open and predictable global rules-based trade, was vital for both our countries. They praised enhanced cooperation on economic security, including through Australia's participation in G7 critical minerals high-level group discussions under France's 2026 G7 Presidency. Ministers welcomed the organisation of a 1.5 Track Dialogue on Economic Security, which will take place in Paris in May 2026. The Ministers also welcomed the progress already made in critical minerals cooperation, as evidenced by the recent announcement of the French Government supported InfraVia investment in the Core Lithium Finniss Project in the Northern Territory.
- The Ministers jointly announced that both countries' export credit agencies, Export Finance Australia and Bpifrance Assurance Export, had commenced negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen mutual cooperation. This Memorandum of Understanding would explore opportunities for cofinancing projects, including in the Indo-Pacific region, and to further strengthen supply chains between Australia and France, including on critical minerals and decarbonised energy.
- The Ministers expressed their shared intent that the Australia-France Ministerial Trade and Investment Dialogue continue to be a centrepiece of the regular engagement between both countries on economic issues of mutual interest.
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