Australian diplomats continue to strongly advocate free trade and multilateral diplomacy in response to Donald Trump’s revival of protectionism and the ensuing threat of trade wars, but that is only one side of the story. Read More
The Trump administration’s blocking of new judges to the WTO’s Appellate Body has caused a large backlog of disputes. If this continues, the WTO will… Read More
Companies that feel like they've been hard done by in Commonwealth procurement would be able to have their complaints heard in court, and possibly win compensation, under a bill that is likely to become law in coming months. Public servants are advised to prepare now. Read More
Trump and Brexit are isolated bumps on the road to full globalisation, if optimists in the business community are to be believed. But can liberalisation continue as normal in the face of voter backlash? Read More
The Canberra "beltway" needs more intelligence on what Australians are thinking, says the new DFAT head. As the forces of protectionism rally, she pondered the declining public trust in governments and foreign policy. Read More
Australia has defended its regulatory sovereignty, and its tobacco control laws, in its first investor-state dispute settlement case. But more are likely, and there's genuine concern about how the system operates. Read More
ISDS provisions in free trade agreements have come under fire for allowing governments to be sued over social policy. So why do trade negotiators like them? Penny Wong thinks we need an international agreement. Read More
AusTrade and DFAT have been ordered to do more engagement at home. The government isn’t satisfied with the take-up by businesses of the opportunities from the hard-fought free trade agreements with China, Japan and Korea. Read More
