Abstract This article identifies 8 key lessons for those States contemplating a free trade agreement with the United States (U.S.) arising from Australia’s experience. The standards of intellectual property protection under the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and their impact on pharmaceutical prices in Australia are a particular focus. Prospective parties must first conduct a national interest self-assessment which reviews the desired strength of intellectual property protection under national law and their preference for using flexibilities available to them under the existing international intellectual property rights framework. The United States negotiates free trade agreements in light of previous ones, negotiating outcomes obtained in other fora and the decisions of international trade tribunals. Negotiations typically occur behind closed doors, which is a process having adverse implications for transparent decision-making, public consultation periods and contributions from interested non-governmental actors. A concluded agreement will build on prior treaties and influence the course of future international arrangements. But the impact of a United States free trade agreement is not always clear, including because of a lack of reliable data, and the extent of national legal change is a contested issue given existing reform agendas and external influences. The United States seek to redesign national health care systems in its own image and had little success in Australia’s case. National legal systems need not be harmonised: although there can be some convergence in intellectual property rights regimes, significant differences may also remain. Negotiators must reconcile competing cultures, philosophies and perspectives between States for a free trade agreement to be worthwhile.

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与美国的自由贸易协定：从澳大利亚的经验中为准缔约方提供的8课

摘要本文从澳大利亚的经验中为那些打算与美国达成自由贸易协定的国家提供了8个主要教训。特别关注的是《澳美自由贸易协定》下的知识产权保护标准及其对澳大利亚药品价格的影响。准当事方必须首先进行国家利益自我评估，以评估国家法律所要求的知识产权保护的理想强度，以及他们是否愿意在现有国际知识产权框架下使用其现有的灵活性。美国根据先前的协议谈判自由贸易协定，谈判在其他论坛中取得的成果以及国际贸易法庭的决定。谈判通常是闭门造车的，这对透明的决策，公众咨询期以及感兴趣的非政府行为者的贡献都具有不利影响。一项已达成的协议将以先前的条约为基础，并影响未来国际安排的进程。但是美国自由贸易协定的影响并不总是很清楚，包括由于缺乏可靠的数据，考虑到现有的改革议程和外部影响，国家法律变化的程度是一个有争议的问题。美国试图以自己的形象重新设计国家卫生保健系统，但在澳大利亚的案例中却收效甚微。国家法律体系不必统一：尽管知识产权制度可能会有所融合，可能还会存在重大差异。谈判者必须调和国家之间相互竞争的文化，理念和观点，以使一项自由贸易协定有价值。