Trade Policy Decoded

IIT / ACITI
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Trade Policy Decoded is for anyone with an interest in international trade policy - both experts and trade policy novices. We cover trade policy in Australia and the world. Hosted by the University of Adelaide's Institute for International Trade and the Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment, TPD provides trade policy updates, information and analysis that’s timely, easy to access, super interesting and insightful.

  1. Episode 38: Green Energy Statecraft with Professor Elizabeth Thurbon

    4D AGO

    Episode 38: Green Energy Statecraft with Professor Elizabeth Thurbon

    In this week’s instalment of Trade Policy Decoded, Pru and Peter host special guest Professor Elizabeth Thurbon to discuss the importance of Green Energy to Australia and newly emerging concepts in Green Energy Statecraft. Having opened and Directed UNSW’s Green Energy Statecraft Project, Professor Thurbon has explored these concepts in depth and provides potential methods that Australia may be able to use in pursuing the frontiers of a green transition. Talking with Peter and Pru, she outlines the national security objectives which would be achieved through pursuing this statecraft, what it would mean for Australia’s trade flows, and how such initiatives might work in a changing international system.Find more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page and ⁠⁠ACITI ⁠website!

    36 min

  2. FEB 3

    Episode 37: 2026 in Focus: Trade Policy in the Year Ahead

    In this first episode for 2026, Peter and Pru look at the key developments likely to impact trade policy in the coming year. They break these down into three areas. The first is US domestic factors likely to constrain President Trump’s trade unilateralism. These include US inflation, US bond and stock market fluctuations, the US Supreme Court’s decision on the President’s use of IEEPA powers to impose tariffs, and US Congressional elections in November. Pru and Peter then look at Canadian Prime Minister Carney’s invitation to middle powers to work together to counter the impact of trade unilateralism by the major powers. Pru and Peter explore the scope for middle power cooperation as well as the difficulties in achieving it. Peter and Pru then turn to China and the potential for China’s domestic economic developments and international actions to impact global trade. They finish with a quick look at how Australia is placed and what the Australian Government is doing to navigate the country through the quagmire.

    31 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    Episode 36: 2025 in Review

    Looking back on the year that has been, this episode looks at the key trade policy developments in 2025 – a year dominated by radical shifts in US trade policy. Peter and Pru review some US trade data points to try and identify the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on trade and the extent to which what was predicted came to pass. They then turn to China’s response – the impact of US tariffs on China’s trade, Chinese leverage and the risks and opportunities the new trade context has created.  Peter and Pru then delve into how other countries have responded and point to the lack of any joint action from countries seeking to push back against the US. Australia’s response has focused on balancing our relationship with both the US and China while progressing domestic initiatives to bolster resilience. The discussion wraps up with a look at potential new US trade complaints about a number of Australian domestic policies in 2026. From everyone at TPD – we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year full of many more great TPD episodes! Recorded on 11 December 2025. Find more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ACITI ⁠⁠⁠⁠website and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page!

    33 min

  4. 11/07/2025

    Episode 35: In Discussion with Ernst & Young: Australian Business Operations at the forefront of changing Trade Policy

    In this instalment of Trade Policy Decoded, Peter and Pru host Cherelle Murphy, EY Regional Chief Economist, Oceania, and Luke Branson, EY Partner and Oceania Global Trade Leader. Cherelle and Luke provide some awesome insights into the real-world impacts of the current trade disruption as well as the tools they are using to forecast impacts. The discussion begins with an outline of EY’s recent modelling and report on the impact of US tariffs on the Australian economy. It then traverses the challenges of modelling the multiple factors impacted by the tariffs, how business is managing the impacts and the non-tariff costs of tariff chaos, as well as how the Australian Government could best help Australian business manage tariff-created risk. A fascinating discussion even if we say so ourselves! Find more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ACITI ⁠⁠⁠⁠website and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page!

    36 min

  5. 10/16/2025

    Episode 34: European-Australian Trade Ambitions and the Road Ahead

    In this instalment of Trade Policy Decoded Pru and Peter dive into the future of EU-Australia relations and how this field is evolving in today’s changing geopolitical landscapes. Based off of their recent discussions in Bologna, Italy, Trade Policy Decoded brings back insights from forum discussions in mapping possible trajectories for relationships between Australia and the European Union. From this, shared interests and key objectives for both regions are identified and explored within the context of current global trade dynamics. As a group of countries that value the rule of law and the strengthening of democratic institutions, there is certainly good reason for deeper cooperation and coordination in EU-Australia relations. But what are the methods and avenues that exist for deepening these relationships? And what can the EU and Australia do to overcome existing obstacles preventing future cooperation? These questions and more are explored throughout this episode. Get more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠ACITI ⁠⁠⁠website and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page!

    32 min

  6. 09/23/2025

    Episode 33: Update from the World Trade Organisation with Australia’s Ambassador James Baxter

    In this episode of Trade Policy Decoded, Peter and Pru talk to Australia’s Ambassador to the WTO, James Baxter, on a range of issues facing the organisation and WTO member responses to President Trump’s trade policies. They canvas WTO member outreach via the Public Forum and key themes discussed at this year’s Forum, critical challenges facing the WTO, the WTO reform agenda, scope for securing new outcomes at the 14th Ministerial Conference in 2026, and the ongoing and important work Australia’s diplomats undertake in promoting Australia’s trade interests. These topics and more are explored in this instalment of Trade Policy Decoded. Find more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page and ⁠⁠⁠ACITI ⁠⁠website!

    35 min

  7. 08/28/2025

    Episode 32: The US vision for a post-WTO trade system – ‘Mission Accomplished’?

    Standing in Iraq beneath a banner reading ‘Mission Accomplished’, former President George W. Bush proclaimed that ‘major combat operations in Iraq have ended … the United States and our allies have prevailed’. This was 6-weeks after the U.S. bypassed the UN to unilaterally invade the country. It proved to be a dubious claim.   In this edition of Trade Policy Decoded, Pru and Peter look at what kind of ‘Mission Accomplished’ the Trump Administration’s reciprocal tariffs are trying to achieve, and what ‘victory’ looks like to those on the inside of recent trade policy manoeuvres.   In doing this, Trade Policy Decoded surveys recent US commentary by Peter Navarro, Jamieson Greer, Richard Baldwin, Adam Posen and Michael Froman. While Navarro and Greer depict President Trump’s tariffs as a response to a world perceived to be exploiting America, Baldwin identifies grievance as driving US trade policy. Posen highlights the costs of the US moving away from the rules-based system, while Froman envisions a variable geometry of trade rules and coalitions to replace the WTO – or perhaps more of the same but without the US.   Find more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page and ⁠⁠ACITI ⁠website!

    32 min

  8. 08/18/2025

    Episode 31: Celebrating the TAR in the time of Trump with Productivity Commission Deputy Chair Alex Robson

    The PC’s Trade and Assistance Review (TAR) has measured the costs of tariffs, industry policy and other trade measures on the Australian economy for over 50 years.  The TAR’s importance has only increased with the trade chaos caused by President Trump and the revival of industry policy in Australia and elsewhere. In this episode of TPD, Pru and Peter speak to special guest Alex Robson, Deputy Chair of the Australian Productivity Commission, about the role of the PC and the key findings in this year’s TAR. They traverse the PC’s assessment of the impact of US tariffs, its advice Australia remove nuisance tariffs, the challenges of modelling uncertainty, and how the PC’s economic assessments sit with national security and climate policy objectives. It ends with Alex very firmly keeping his PC hat on and providing his views on the upcoming Australian Government’s Productivity Roundtables. Find more analysis on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IIT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Page and ⁠⁠ACITI ⁠website!

    34 min
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About

Trade Policy Decoded is for anyone with an interest in international trade policy - both experts and trade policy novices. We cover trade policy in Australia and the world. Hosted by the University of Adelaide's Institute for International Trade and the Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment, TPD provides trade policy updates, information and analysis that’s timely, easy to access, super interesting and insightful.

Information

  • Creator
    IIT / ACITI
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © IIT / ACITI
  • Show Website
    Trade Policy Decoded