Wikileaks - MCCXLVI

Monday, 05 September, Year 3 d.Tr. | Author: Mircea Popescu

187785 1/20/2009 4:34 09CANBERRA64 Embassy Canberra UNCLASSIFIED 08CANBERRA1134|09STATE4753 VZCZCXRO0184 PP RUEHPT DE RUEHBY #0064 0200434 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 200434Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0863 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0406 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9318 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1056 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0475 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0066 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3566 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0299 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0179 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 5344 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 2542 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1968 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1129 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0306 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1517 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1139 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2270 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1503 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0508 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0482 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0530 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1035 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9664 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 1086 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3364 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0853 RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 4135 RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 5927 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 4193 RUEHVL/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 0002 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1981 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0743 RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1192 UNCLAS CANBERRA 000064

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EB/TPP/MTAA NAFZIGER, EAP/ANZ; STATE PLEASE PASS USTR/MALMROSE

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EIND, EFIN, ETRD, PREL, WTO, AS SUBJECT: AUTOMOBILE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS - AUSTRALIA

REF: A. STATE 4753 B. 2008 CANBERRA 1134

1. On November 10, 2008, the GOA announced its "New Car Plan for a Greener Future". Totalling A$7.7 billion (US$5.1 at current exchange rates), it focuses on encouraging the manufacture of low-emissions vehicles (Toyota has already received money under this provision), a fund to encourage consolidation of component manufacturing, and an emphasis on investment in research and development. See 2008 Canberra 1134 for further details.

2. In making the announcement, Prime Minister Rudd, despite the pleas of domestic manufacturers General Motors/Holden and Ford, stuck to the scheduled reduction in auto tariffs from 10% to 5% in 2010; Rudd said this would result "in the third-lowest tariff regime among economies with a well-developed automotive industry."

3. There are no provisions in the plan linking assistance to export or local content requirements.

CLUNE

Category: Breaking News
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