Fed: Support drops for US free trade agreement

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2004
Fed: Support drops for US free trade agreement

SYDNEY, Feb 19 AAP - Support for Australia's trade agreement with the United States
dropped sharply after the deal was announced, a poll revealed today.

The survey of 1,000 people was conducted in the days after the February 9 announcement
of the deal, which opened the manufacturing and services sector but failed to deliver
major cuts to US protection in the agricultural area.

In December, Australian support for the agreement was at 53 per cent.

But backing dropped to just 35 per cent shortly after the announcement.

Thirty seven per cent opposed it while 25 per cent were unsure and three per cent said
"it depends".

The cane-growing state of Queensland was most against the deal, which excluded sugar.

Forty seven per cent of respondents in that state opposed the agreement.

The survey was conducted by public relations consultancy Hawker Britton.

AAP ld/sd/sco/de

KEYWORD: TRADE US POLL

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