Australian trade, investment & economy

Reverse colonialism? India and Britain’s free trade agreements
Reverse colonialism? India and Britain’s free trade agreements
As elections loom, India is in free trade agreement mode. Hot on the heels of announcing the signing of a “landmark” deal with a group of non-EU European countries, India has also…
Economic diplomacy: To market, to market, with China
Economic diplomacy: To market, to market, with China
Trading up Australia’s international economic engagement kicked off in 2003 with then foreign minister Alexander Downer telling his Cabinet colleagues that he was set to claim…
Economic diplomacy: Pulling the right global value chain
Economic diplomacy: Pulling the right global value chain
Stepping up Late last month, the Albanese government took important steps towards dealing with two of the most debated developments in international economic relations since…
Why is Myanmar’s new deep-sea port such hot property?
Why is Myanmar’s new deep-sea port such hot property?
In Myanmar’s westernmost state of Rakhine, the small fishing village of Kyaukphyu has become the focus of a US$7.3 billion deep-water port development by Chinese state-owned…
Outward bound: We should celebrate Australian investment overseas
Outward bound: We should celebrate Australian investment overseas
Australian miners and bankers are globally competitive wherever they operate. And yet what Australian businesses are doing abroad is rarely celebrated with the same interest as…
Australia must play the geoeconomics game, or risk being side-lined
Australia must play the geoeconomics game, or risk being side-lined
Last month, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon stated geopolitics is now the biggest global risk to the economy. Australian business leaders on the receiving end of Chinese economic…
In Australia’s big play in Southeast Asia, mobilising the private sector is critical
In Australia’s big play in Southeast Asia, mobilising the private sector is critical
There is an unmistakable disconnect between Australia’s trade and investment flows and the geo-economic importance of Southeast Asia. The combined economies of the Association…
Is US industrial policy headed in the wrong direction?
Is US industrial policy headed in the wrong direction?
The Biden administration’s “modern American industrial strategy” marks a striking departure from prevailing economic orthodoxy. The United States is now championing muscular…
Economic diplomacy: Duelling D-words to delineate China
Economic diplomacy: Duelling D-words to delineate China
Risky business For the leader-in-waiting from a small, risk averse country, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was remarkably quick last month to smack down the…
Finding opportunity in Asia’s net-zero transition
Finding opportunity in Asia’s net-zero transition
The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing a surge in climate action, with nearly all countries in the region committing to achieving net-zero emissions, albeit with varying timeframes…