Global Economy
What do Biden’s big new China tariffs mean for global development?
The United States has imposed stunning tariff hikes on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), quadrupling them to 100%, as well as 25-50% tariffs on a raft of other Chinese products,…
Whether EVs or solar panels, protectionism has the same distorting effect
It is commonly agreed that the Biden administration’s recently announced 100% tariff on Chinese made electric cars is entirely symbolic. Already impeded by a 25% tariff, China…
The macroeconomic limit of American exceptionalism
Donald Trump was long obsessed with trade deficits and railed it was “very bad” whenever the balance ran against the United States. So, it’s not surprising to see one of Trump’s…
Australia’s new gas strategy makes for flawed foreign policy
The latest Australian federal budget, handed down on Tuesday night, pledges unprecedented support to making Australia a “renewable superpower”. Yet a new gas strategy that…
Made in Australia meets China’s export juggernaut
China’s structural industrial overcapacity is undoubtedly the topic du jour.Travelling to Beijing in April, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen exhorted her hosts to boost…
The Philippines and the Digital Silk Road
The Philippines might be struggling against China’s encroachment in the South China Sea, but in the digital world, the two countries are locked in an embrace. China’s so-called …
The cable shortage: Plugging in offshore wind farms
Australia’s late entry into the offshore wind market is a welcome development for clean energy advocates. The federal government this month issued what it has called the first…
Economic diplomacy: It’s nostalgists vs strategists
New binaries
Australian economic leaders have a double-edged history of trying to redefine their opponents out of the political debate from Paul Keating’s “straightmen, fixers…
Waqf-based forests: Harnessing Islamic philanthropy for climate financing in Indonesia
Domestic funding for climate resilience has been one of Indonesia’s top priorities. Going “bigger” and “better” are essential to Indonesia’s future prosperity, given the Asian…
Australia’s comparative advantage in climate transition
Australia’s $2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility (SEAIFF) is a catch-all response to diverse objectives. It was a “deliverable” – or at least an “announcable” –…