Import

President-elect Donald Trump is right: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a damaging deal and deserves to be killed off.

Donald Trump’s victory promises a further departure from the traditional Asia-Pacific order created during the Cold War years. This was when the US provided military and economic dominance through a system of defence alliances with the major trading partners in the region, including Australia.

Surveying democratic election results around the world, it’s clear the high water mark for globalisation has been met. Free trade, always questionable economics, is no longer good politics and in many ways has jumped the shark.

At the recent 49th Annual Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Convention in Brisbane, most leading Australian food and agribusiness industry experts agreed that while innovation is the key to ensuring a viable future for the food and agribusiness industry, the concern around foreign investment is impacting markets and hindering the collaboration. The … Continue reading Drop the ‘xenophobic’ attitude to trade says AIFST →

Orica and Thales have worked to onshore production of the explosives companies’ boosters, with 5 million to be made annually at two of Thales’ Australian factories. AAP reports that the Benalla (Victoria) and Mulwala (NSW) sites, owned by the defence department, will make the next-generation boosters. These were designed at Melbourne and will be produced … Continue reading Onshoring Orica booster supply “great result” for ­regional manufacturing →

Recent estimates show that most members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership will make substantial gains, unlike those who opt not to participate. US annual real income is expected to increase by 0.5% of GDP while annual exports will increase by 9.1%. Exports of Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia are expected to increase by 23.2%, 30.1% and 20.1% respectively. … Continue reading Why China could never sign on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership →

India’s finance minister has said Australian investment would be helpful in realising the goal of India as a low-cost manufacturing hub.

According to the CEO of Brickworks, it is two times cheaper to send a brick to Sydney from Spain than from Perth.

Garment printing business The Print Bar plans to expand its local manufacturing capacity, and hopes the fall of the Australian dollar delivers a boost in sales.

A number of manufacturers have warned against introducing a public interest test as the Productivity Commission prepares a report for early next year on anti-dumping arrangements.

The deployment of robots could help automotive companies bring manufacturing closer to their headquarters, a US executive has predicted.

Many claims are made that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with select trading partners will benefit Australian agriculture. OECD statistics say otherwise.

Manufacturers are urged to take advantage of one of our most cost-effective marketing tools – the Australian Made logo. Alan Johnson reports.

​The full details of the Chinese-Australian Free Trade Agreement are expected to be released before the end of June.

General Motors has announced that it will end car manufacturing in Indonesia after poor sales of its Spin vehicle.

Caltex has shut down the last of its fuel refinery process units, and started operation of the site as a fuel import terminal.

During the APEC meeting in Beijing, President Xi Jinping announced China will spend US$10 trillion on imports over the next five years.

​The ACTU, AMWU and other union bodies have said the China FTA, signed yesterday, could be potentially devastating for local manufacturers.

​The free trade agreement with China – expected to be signed this afternoon – is the subject of “mixed feelings” for the industry.

The FTA with China has been under negotiation for 10 years.