Great post by @simonlester.com warning of the dangers of the shift to securitization of trade policy: ielp.worldtradelaw.net/2025/10/bewa... See also this recent East Asia Forum article on how security concerns are reshaping economic cooperation eastasiaforum.org/2025/10/04/s...

Just took a look at the text the EU proposed in its CEPA with Indonesia (on left) - took a new approach of recognising transmissions as services (so in one way broader than CPTPP language, on right) circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/092... No guarantee Indonesia accepted this of course. 1/2

Indonesian Trade Minister says Hong Kong identified as a priority economy for accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) theedgemalaysia.com/node/771595

Lots of bits of interest in the RCEP Ministers' Joint Statement: (1) 2027 General Review is coming; (2) Seeming acceptance that RSU is doing the work of an RCEP Secretariat (?); (3) There was a "Report of the RCEP Dialogue on Electronic Commerce" organised by Japan... 1/2

Looking forward to reading the EU-Indonesia CEPA text - particularly on digital. The outcomes factsheet suggests Indonesia has bound its commitment first made to the US to not impose duties on electronic transmissions... (a step towards the JSI?) policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-rel...

The UK has published a review of its 2022 Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore, good to see countries not just leaving these agreements in a draw but actively seeing how they can be improved upon and better utilised www.gov.uk/government/p...

Malaysia's Trade Minister says the RCEP Summit in October will look at accessions and an upgrade (ASEAN Economic Ministers and partners, including USTR Greer, are meeting in KL this week) www.reuters.com/world/china/...

India to agree to non-discriminatory treatment of digital products rule in US deal? ecoti.in/eA5Cra89 via @economictimes

Singapore Trade Minister "Gan noted that there is 'no going back' to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) system of the 1990s. Yet, abandoning trade rules [would be] altogether would be far more damaging." mothership.sg/2025/09/gan-...

Update on CPTPP ISDS dispute with Mexico: "Almaden Announces Calendar for Arbitration Process with Mexico" www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/ma...

China: "China to further open up digital trade sectors: commerce ministry... China will also implement its negative list for cross-border services trade and continuously raise the level of opening up in digital trade." english.www.gov.cn/news/202509/...

IPEF hopes still spring eternal? www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/pen...

Korea Begins Strategic Review for CPTPP Membership www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/article...

India needs to bring down tariffs to ASEAN level and join RCEP, says member of Economic Advisory Council to PM 👀 ecoti.in/K4PwoY

Trump's 'Pocket Rescission' includes cuts to US contributions to international organisations - including "$29 million to the toothless World Trade Organization (WTO), which has for decades aided and abetted global trade cheating by the Chinese Communist party." www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st...

India and Japan Fact Sheet on Economic Security Cooperation includes a reference to IPEF - www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/... #IPEFstillathing (One Indian journalist suggesting its a snub at Trump - theprint.in/diplomacy/sn...)

Singapore, UAE, New Zealand and others to launch trade partnership - the Future of Trade and Investment Partnership (FIT-P) www.ft.com/content/d233... via @financialtimes.com

Australia's Treasurer suggests he is "open" to reviewing AUSFTA investment commitments that allow investments from the US of up to $1.46 billion without screening www.afr.com/companies/ag...

Macron wants EU to target US Big Tech after new Trump tariff threat www.politico.eu/article/emma...

Australia looking to scrap hundreds of “nuisance” tariffs www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/ti...

M’sia to hold RCEP Summit in October, says PM - https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/08/27/msia-to-hold-rcep-summit-in-october-says-pm

This procedural order in Almaden v Mexico (CPTPP ISDS dispute) is now online: icsidfiles.worldbank.org/icsid/ICSIDB...

Former Deputy Chairman of India's Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, says India must rethink its position on RCEP and seek to join the CPTPP. thewire.in/diplomacy/tr...

Trump Vows Export Curbs, Tariffs in Digital Tax Reprisal www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"I feel we made a mistake by walking out of RCEP": Indian MP (former finance and home minister) P. Chidambaram www.businesstoday.in/magazine/int...

"India-Australia FTA: Another round of talks for comprehensive trade pact conclude" www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...

Mint reports "two senior government officials" saying India is "weighing the possibility of rejoining RCEP"... Welcome views @shansebolo.bsky.social on if this is credible! www.livemint.com/economy/push...

My article The New Economic Geography is out today in @foreignaffairs.com Please read! (Ungated link, suitable for sharing) shared.outlook.inky.com/link?domain=...

Taiwan lobbying "countries less favorable to its membership bid, including Chile and Malaysia," to support CPTPP accession. "Foreign ministry says Australia unlikely to block membership effort" www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6182433

Malaysia to push for substantial conclusion of the Digital Economy Framework Agreements (DEFA) negotiations at upcoming September AEM meeting www.nst.com.my/business/eco...

Jeffrey Sachs: India should join RCEP www.aninews.in/news/world/u...

Digital trade rules part of hold up to finalising EU-US deal - www.ft.com/content/3f67... via @financialtimes.com

The fourth meeting of the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force was held on 13 August "to address geoeconomic tensions and unilateral tariff policies": asean.org/asean-geoeco...

Australia's Ministerial Council on Trade and Investment has met. Communique is here: www.trademinister.gov.au/minister/don...

Got a copy of the AfCFTA Secretariat-Australia MOU on implementation of the AfCFTA. No idea why this isn't just on the DFAT website though... drive.google.com/file/d/1gSsk...

Job alert: Global Shield is hiring in Australia! www.globalshieldpolicy.org/vacancies/ Come work with me in Canberra to reduce global catastrophic risk (incl from AI, pandemics, nuclear war and more). This is a great opportunity for significant impact and development. Please share!

USTR Greer sets out his (Trumps?) vision for global trade and heralds the "Trump Round" of negotiations. This reference to 'enforcement' must be cold comfort for counterparties - unilateral action if the US decides you're in breach and no real recourse if the US decides it doesn't want to comply.

IPEF is still a thing? Suggestion India looking at leveraging IPEF (and the Quad) in Trump tariff negotiations www.livemint.com/politics/pol...

"New Trump tariffs: early modelling shows most economies lose – the US more than many" theconversation.com/new-trump-ta...

This is a pretty cool data tool from Reuters, tracking the effects of US tariffs using corporate reports. www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...

#CPTPP Accession Working Group for Costa Rica met last week in Kuala Lumpur www.linkedin.com/posts/sumath...

Job alert: Global Shield is hiring in Australia! www.globalshieldpolicy.org/vacancies/ Come work with me in Canberra to reduce global catastrophic risk (incl from AI, pandemics, nuclear war and more). This is a great opportunity for significant impact and development. Please share!

CPTPP ISDS arbitration update: Panel denies Mexico's request for bifurcation in dispute brought by Canadian miner Almaden: static1.squarespace.com/static/5ed92...

New on Bloomberg : “Tracking Every Trump Tariff and Its Economic Effect”

🚨EU sources say deal done with Trump in Scotland

On the Japan $550 billion investment: "When asked about the White House statement that the U.S. would retain 90% of the profits from the package, he clarified that the figure refers only to returns on equity investment, which would represent a small fraction of the total."

China and Australia held the third meeting of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) Joint Committee via video link on Thursday (ChAFTA entered into force in 2015 and the Joint "Commission" is supposed to meet annually under Art 14.2) www.globaltimes.cn/page/202507/...

In a speech to @lowyinstitute.bsky.social, Aus Trade Minister set out 5 principles for Aus policy "in a turbulent global economy". 1) Free & open markets; 2) Rules not power; 3) Cooperation needed; 4) No one left behind; 5) Maintain our values and interests www.trademinister.gov.au/minister/don...

The final text of India-UK CETA is out. @achyuthanil.bsky.social comments on @lbcnews.bsky.social (13.24) that the deal is great for goods & service sectors for both countries. www.globalplayer.com/live/lbcnews...

“Significantly, if those changes don’t work, there is also provision that quota allocation could move to our first preference of an on-demand system.” www.farmersweekly.co.nz/markets/no-w...