In the past year there have been multiple calls from international organisations and political leaders for a resetting of trade arrangements and increased cooperation. Geopolitical tensions globally and regionally present challenges for these aspirations as do the realities of ongoing border closures and the variable effects of other domestic policy settings.
Nevertheless, the advent and persistence of COVID-19 has created a space for new conversations and action around international trade rules, the connections between trade and health, digital trade regulations and, perhaps most significantly, the ongoing importance of advancing a greener trading system. How realistic is this idea of a reset, what might new trade arrangements look like? Will old trade wars continue to loom large for the Asia Pacific region, and what needs to be part of a sustainable trade agenda for the future that is inclusive of the Pacific, Indigenous peoples and diverse business interests?
The 2021 Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School (ATEPS) features a range of local and international experts who will address these questions over two half-days.
View the conference programme - ATEPS Programme.docx and conference fiier - ATEPS Flier.pdf