"This market access initiative demonstrates Australia's commitment to the particular needs of LDCs and to helping them participate effectively in the multilateral trading system, particularly in the current WTO Doha Round of trade negotiations," said Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile, according to a media release of the Australian High Commission in Dhaka.

The new legislation, passed last week, gives effect to the Australian Prime Minister's announcement last October at the APEC leaders' meeting in Los Cabos, of duty free and quota free access for goods originating in LDCs.

Apart from the LDCs, the Australian government has also extended the preferential access to East Timor.

"Australia has provided generous preferential market access for the world's poorest countries for many years, and now LDCs and East Timor have the duty and quota free access for all products to the country," Mark Vaile said.

Australia continues to address trade and development issues in a number of international meetings and fora, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the May 2002 UN Conference on LDC.