Cultural Services in Australia and New Zealand’s Preferential Trade Agreements

This article (1) summarizes the provisions relating to cultural services in the preferential trade agreements (PTAs) to which Australia and New Zealand belong, and (2) discusses the scope of these provisions, in light of the cultural policy measures involved and states’ resulting ability to pursue cultural policies. Not only have Australia and New Zealand pursued some of the world’s most ambitious cultural policies, these two partner countries at times took unusual positions on the trade and culture debate. Yet, both have resolutely positioned themselves toward the ‘culture’ side of the debate, with either some of the most far-reaching exceptions or modest commitments relating to the cultural sector in their respective PTAs. Australia, New Zealand, cultural policies, trade and culture debate, trade liberalization, preferential trade agreements, cultural provisions, cultural services, cultural exceptions, cultural commitments