A partial defence of international trade

There is a growing backlash against international trade. The populist left has always been anti-trade, but now the populist right is also becoming more vocal in their opposition to trade. This is perhaps most obvious with the Trump administration in the US, but it is starting to appear in Australia through the work of the National Conservative movement.

The debate between free traders and economic nationalists is too often framed through an ideological lens. We believe that is a mistake. Global trade does bring significant economic benefits to Australia, but it also comes with some risks, and “free trade” should not be treated as a religion.

In this campaign, the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance will attempt to unpack the various arguments for and against international trade, and work out the implications for trade policy. The results may surprise some people. Some of the questions to be considered are:

1. Are tariffs a good way to raise revenue for the government?

2. Does global trade make us too reliant on other countries?

3. Do imports undermine domestic industry and destroy Australian jobs?

4. What is the impact of trade on prices and wages?

Over the coming months we will release a series of short articles on each of these questions, invite feedback from the public, and take the results to our politicians in the hope of building better public policy for the good of the nation.

10 December 2025