Republican candidate continues hard line on trade

Mr Trump’s economic platform is radical in many respects, calling for big tax cuts, alongside continued support for health and welfare spending. His trade policy has the most direct implications for Australia as he proposes a more assertive unilateral approach that could trigger global trade tensions, especially with China (Australia’s biggest export market), runs against the rules-based multilateral trading system that Australia and NZ have always supported and could result in the WTO being dragged into very difficult US-Chinese trade disputes.

What does Mr Trump want?

Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in the November US Presidential election, stuck to his guns on trade issues in his acceptance speech for nomination. After campaigning strongly for big changes to US trade policy – measures that carry important implications for Australia, if implemented – Mr Trump’s acceptance speech made it quite clear that his support for a “new fair trade policy that protects our jobs and stands up to countries that cheat” remains.

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