The Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in conversation with Richard Iron CMG OBE.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade reaching a record $252bn in 2019 and accounting for 27.4% of Australia’s trade with the world. This year, tensions between the two countries have risen as China continues to impose trade restrictions on Australian-sourced imports. 

According to Treasury estimates, sectors affected by Chinese trade restrictions lost AU$5.4bn in exports to China during the first full year of sanctions, but by diversifying into other markets they simultaneously found AU$4.4bn of new business elsewhere.

Australia continues to negotiate Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to support this diversification and to reduce and eliminate certain barriers to international trade and investment. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) is a regional FTA that will enter force on 1 January 2022 and build upon Australia's existing free trade agreements with 14 other Indo-Pacific countries. An Australia-UK FTA was agreed in principle in June 2021; an Australia-EU FTA is under negotiation, and the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with India is still being negotiated.

As the world starts to emerge from COVID, what are the prospects for the trade relationships between Australia, Asia, India and Europe? How might the current trade agreement architecture in the region change with a renewed Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)? 

AIIA Victoria invites you to join the Hon Dan Tehan MP in conversation with Richard Iron.

This event is open all (please note that to comply with VIC Public Health Orders, all in-person attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or hold a valid exemption). It will also be streamed online via Zoom. Registration for in-person attendees will open at 4.30pm on Tuesday 14 December. Refreshments provided. The event will commence promptly at 5pm AEDT (Melbourne time, UTC+11).