Farm Writers Lunch
Trump, tariffs and (free) trade
Friday 23 May 2025
12:00 for 12:30pm
Australia is a leading and long-standing global advocate for free trade. As one of the founding members of The Cairns Group of agricultural exporting nations, Australia has signed 18 free trade agreements including with our four largest agricultural export markets – China, Japan, South Korea and the United States of America. But do these agreements mean anything with the second coming of President Donald Trump, who in his first few months in office has demonstrated a willingness to eschew free trade in favour of tariffs, ‘the most beautiful word in the dictionary’?
Despite decades of global movement towards freer and fairer trade between nations, America is fast turning its back on free trade as it pursues a new age and era of American domestic industrial exceptionalism.
However, does Australia still have a trump card to play in this tariff and free trade war? Are President Trump’s policies putting his favourite meal at risk? Australia exports $3.4 billion worth of beef to America, including meat for the burgers at McDonalds. Is this the bargaining chip (or is that fries?) we need to keep Australian agricultural exports to the USA tariff free?
We are fortunate to be joined by one of Australian agriculture’s fiercest and longest-standing free trade advocates. As the minister for trade, tourism and investment in the Abbott and Turnbull governments, the Hon Andrew Robb AO is responsible for negotiating and signing free trade agreements with China, South Korea and Japan, and was a leading advocate for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the canary in the regional free trade coal mine scuttled by the 2016 US presidential election.
As a former chief executive of the Cattle Council and then the National Farmers’ Federation, and now as a consultant on trade and investment, Andrew joins us to share his unique insights about the benefits of free trade, the risks facing Australian agriculture from a growing movement against trade liberalisation and how he thinks Australia should approach a trade war with the United States.
If we’re lucky, we might even get his views, as a former federal director of the Liberal Party and federal member for Goldstein, on the outcome of the Federal election.
Bookings close
Monday 19 May 2025. Tables of 8 to 10 guests can be booked. Please advise of any dietary requirements at the time of booking.
For any questions, contact bookings@nswfarmwriters.org.au
