Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The recent World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi has again failed to resolve any of the big issues on the table. Power relations rather than rule-based negotiation will fill the void.
Without warning, at 7pm on July 18 1973, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam slashed every single import tariff at once – starting at midnight. It’s the kind of bold political leadership we rarely see today.
Other presidents used the Defense Production Act to boost fossil fuel supplies. Biden is now using it to boost clean energy. But just ramping up production isn’t enough to succeed.
Only 13% of US solar industry jobs are currently in manufacturing. The Biden administration hopes the sector will grow fast, but that might not be so simple.
The tariffs targeting cheap Chinese imports mean prices in the US are higher than average, at the same time Biden is pushing for more renewable energy. But their effect might surprise you.
Europe’s forests are growing, but tropical areas are losing tree cover at a massive scale due to EU demand for imported products. Here’s how to redress the imbalance.
Barnaby Joyce’s pro-mining stance is at odds with the more progressive quarters of the party, and puts the Nationals in a difficult position on global carbon tariffs.
For the UK to exit the EU on genuine Australian, no-deal or WTO terms, the British government would need to reject the WA/NIP. This now appears unlikely.
Hongzhi Gao, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Ivy Guo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Monica Ren, Macquarie University
The recently signed RCEP trade agreement encourages even closer ties with China, but this puts New Zealand’s long-term interests at risk.