The Australian Trade Commission has signed a two-year deal with FedEx to promote trade between the United States and Australia.

The agreement leverages the expertise of both FedEx and Austrade in order to make expert resources available and connect Australian and U.S. businesses that wish to import and export, FedEx said Tuesday in a statement.

Through this alliance, U.S. and Australian businesses will have the tools to better take advantage of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement, which was effective January 2005. Through the agreement, more than 99 percent of U.S.-manufactured goods exported to Australia are duty-free. It also made importing products from Australia easier and more cost-effective.

This is an exciting development for Australian businesses, said Geoff Gray, Austrade Senior Trade Commissioner. By combining our resources, FedEx and Austrade will make it easier for Australian and U.S. companies to develop commercial relationships. This alliance will also help promote the benefits of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement to U.S. and Australian companies and generate further interest in trade between the two countries.