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The Art of the Double-Cross by Donald Trump: Australia and USA Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA)

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  • John Paull

    (UTAS - University of Tasmania [Hobart])

Abstract

Australia has a Free Trade Agreement with USA (AUSFTA) since 2004. The rhetoric at the time was that this is mutually beneficial. The agreement was negotiated in secrecy, it involved some substantial trade-offs by Australia which were never publicly debated but rather 'dumped' on the public as a fait accompli and hence without a social licence. The AUSFTA disproportionately advantaged USA, for example, by extending copyright from life of the author plus 50 years to life of the author plus 70 years (in Chapter 17, Intellectual Property). Australia has many Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) including with China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Peru, and Singapore. Donald Trump has recently unilaterally breached the AUSFTA by imposing tariffs on Australian exports to USA. These are not ‘reciprocal tariffs' as Trump claims. Australia does not impose tariffs on imports from USA (in accordance with the AUSFTA). USA exports more to Australia than Australia exports to USA. The conclusions that can be drawn from the US breach of the AUSFTA are that agreements negotiated and signed by USA may be worthless and their net present value has at least been devalued, they persist at the whim of an incumbent president, and the word of USA can no longer be relied upon. If Australia can be double-crossed by USA, then any country can be.

Suggested Citation

  • John Paull, 2025. "The Art of the Double-Cross by Donald Trump: Australia and USA Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA)," Post-Print hal-05210560, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05210560
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05210560v1
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