Australian trade deals with India and Britain reach Senate

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian bilateral free trade agreements with India and Britain have entered the Senate with the government pushing to have both deals secured this year. 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 government hopes the Senate will make them law with a vote later Tuesday. The deals need to be ratified by the respective British and Indian parliaments before they take effect. Neither nation has yet done that.