to meet the common danger. ANZUS thankfully has never been tested, however it still exists today.
             Joint training exercises are an important aspect of the alliance, especially during peace time. The largest and most recent training exercise was 'Tandem Thrust '97' and involved 17,000 American troops and 5000 Australian soldiers. In both training and in actual war "the two governments have emphasised a high degree of interoperability between their armed forces" . There are also three main joint facilities in Australia, of which Pine Gap (built in 1966) is the most significant.
             Trade and diplomacy are arguably less important than security, however, they are both imperative to the prosperity of the partnership. Although the trade relationship obviously looms larger for Australia, the commercial relationship is vital to both countries' economies. The United States is Australia's second largest trading partner and largest investment partner. In 1996 Australian imports from the U.S stood at $18 billion, while Australian exports to the U.S were valued at $5 billion. This created a bilateral trade deficit of approximately $13.1 billion . Regardless, America is a key export market for Australia and "has remained a major destination for our traditional agricultural exports" plus such things as motor vehicle parts, bauxite and office equipment. Australia's long trading history with the U.S has generally been uncontroversial, however, in 1985 the U.S introduced export subsidies, instituted through their Export Enhancement Program (E.E.P), which meant that the U.S was undercutting Australian prices in traditional Australian markets. A continuing source of friction, compounded by quotas on what they import, Australian access to the U.S markets are severely limited, as evidenced by the 40% lamb tariffs this year.
             Diplomacy, and enhancing diplomatic links, between Australia and the U.S is seen as vital. "The United States is important to Austr...