Trade
Trade policy agenda facing new drivers
There can be little doubt that the conduct of Australian trade policy will become more complex and challenging for the foreseeable future.
Two trends are salient. First, with the…
Economic diplomacy: Slow dividends for Australia from ASEAN spending
Wooing the neighbours
The Morrison government has committed almost $700 million to new non-Covid initiatives in Southeast Asia over the past two years, seeking to rebuild…
Will the EU step up to secure rules-based Indo-Pacific trade?
On 16 September 2021 China lodged an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This immediately kicked-off a debate…
Australia has a solution to Indonesia’s soaring food prices
Indonesia suffers from some of the highest food prices in Southeast Asia. Over the past decade, government policies focussed on food self-sufficiency have contributed to this…
Economic diplomacy: Retro shopping beats the supply chain crisis
These Birks were made for walkin’
In the end it seems, like politics, all trade is local. It has been a big year for reshoring, diversification, logistics log jams and, as Joe…
Economic diplomacy: Free trade vs economic resilience
Santa clauses
The value of global goods trade during the biggest pandemic in a century last year dropped about a third less than it did during the biggest financial crisis in a…
Markets and resilience in the face of economic coercion
Australia’s stern statement at a World Trade Organisation review of China’s trade policy last month emphasised that Beijing’s trade disruptive measures may be targeted at…
China’s economic sanctions made Australia more confident
China has singled out several Australian industries with economic sanctions since May last year, imposing hefty tariffs on Australian barley and wine exports, while throwing up…
Economic diplomacy: Los Angeles port pips China as Christmas grinch
Delivery guy
When Joe Biden first elevated “something called supply chains” to the global bully pulpit of a White House press briefing back in February it wasn’t hard to guess…
The scope to negotiate with China on the CPTPP
China’s recent request to begin talks to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was a surprise. With geopolitical tensions at a high, China is…