In 1872, free traders split with the young Republican Party, ran a third-party candidate against Ulysses S. Grant and sparked 100 years of GOP protectionism. Is history repeating itself?
Chinese businesses are unsure about how import duties will be applied, and so removed some imported products.
Michael Reynolds/AAP
China’s newly introduced “e-commerce laws” are actually just closing a loophole in regulation and shouldn’t be seen feared by Australian businesses trading with the country online.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is one of President Obama’s biggest accomplishments of his second term. Can it survive the anti-trade tide in the race to replace him?
Presidential candidates are using voter anger to fuel more divisions and discord rather than to start a conversation about the collapse of collective bargaining.
Could protectionism make America great again? Trump thinks so.
Reuters
A President Trump or Sanders would be likely to pursue protectionist trade policies such as higher tariffs. History suggests such policies could lead to a trade war, with painful consequences.
A Trump presidency may be the right time for Australia to distance itself from the US.
Reuters/Joe Skipper
It is impossible to know for sure what a Trump presidency would be like. But there are sensible reasons to suspect it could be disastrous – not only for the US but also for Australia.
Indonesia must carefully consider the cost and benefits of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Grasko/www.shutterstock.com
Southeast Asia’s biggest economy is eyeing to join the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, already signed by a dozen countries, including Australia.
South Sudan is a landlocked country with poor infrastructure. Joining the East African Community will open new avenues for trade.
Reuters/Adriane Ohanesian
Countries like Rwanda have shown that regional integration can enhance growth and reduce poverty. South Sudan should follow its lead in its engagement with the East African Community.
If the cap fits…. Brexiters pin hopes on Free Trade Agreements.
REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
Supporters of the campaign to get Britain out of the European Union are touting the prospects for trade deals around the world. The true prospects, however, are far from benign.
The leading Republican candidate may seem out of step with his party’s platform when he lambasts free trade, but in fact the GOP has promoted protectionism for most of its history.
TPP still faces a long slog before it takes effect.
Reuters
Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership signed the deal earlier this month, but changes can still be made to improve the mechanism that allows investors to sue states.
Champagne being served in a bar on McCarthy Street in Lagos.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
It’s easy to dismiss Africa as a place that is, at best, a provider of commodities, land and labour. A closer look shows that the continent is innovative and offers a lot more opportunities.
Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull’s predecessor as prime minister, enjoyed a close relationship with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe.
AAP/Ian Waldie
Australia looks set to continue to confront its core foreign policy dilemma: balancing relations between its largest trading partner, China, and its key security partners, the US and Japan.
Should goods from high-carbon countries be hit with an import tax?
Halpern (Hengl; Groll) / wiki
Will Joe Hockey, a 19-year veteran of the Australian Parliament, be able to navigate an increasingly dysfunctional Washington as ambassador to the United States?
On guard? Xi Jinping in South Africa.
REUTERS/Sidney Seshibedi