Research impact

Our focus is cross-cutting policy-oriented research

We aim to:

inform thinking on key ‘over the horizon’ issues shaping the international trade and investment policy landscape from an Australian and regional perspective
produce quality academic journal articles and policy-oriented working papers, policy briefs and opinion outputs
provide focus for our PhD students
anchor our diverse teaching in real-world issues and the latest academic and policy research.

Strategic programs Strategic programs
Working papers Working papers
Policy briefs Policy briefs

Creative and cultural

Southeast Asia program

The Institute for International Trade’s Southeast Asia Program advances regional trade integration and sustainable development across ASEAN. Building on deep expertise in trade policy, it supports implementation of key agreements such as RCEP and AANZFTA through targeted research, technical assistance, and capacity-building.

The program tackles emerging challenges in digitalisation, sustainability, and circular economy transitions, helping governments and businesses adapt to evolving global trade dynamics. It strengthens human capital and sectoral capacity—particularly in health and education—to enhance regional competitiveness and inclusive growth.

By simplifying trade policies, improving institutional readiness, and promoting policy coherence, IIT’s work delivers tangible outcomes that support long-term economic resilience. The program’s research and training activities translate complex trade and policy challenges into actionable solutions, enabling partners to negotiate, implement, and benefit from modern trade frameworks.

Projects range from policy reviews and regional integration support for ASEAN members to human capital development in Cambodia and Timor-Leste’s preparation for ASEAN accession. Through these initiatives, IIT fosters stronger regional ties, sustainable growth, and a more connected, capable Southeast Asia.

Sustainable green transition

Trade and environment

We examine how international trade can drive the global shift toward a low-carbon, sustainable economy. Funded by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Trade & Environment under the EU Erasmus+ Program, it unites leading Adelaide University researchers in trade, environmental policy, business, and international relations to explore the evolving trade–climate nexus.

Through transdisciplinary research and global collaboration, the program investigates how trade policy can support climate action, fair supply chains, and green innovation. Its work centres on three key themes:

trade-related climate measures shaping global competitiveness
green value chains across strategic sectors such as hydrogen, steel and critical minerals, and
emerging climate clubs and plurilateral initiatives transforming trade governance.

Combining academic rigour with practical engagement, the program produces working papers, policy briefs and stakeholder dialogues that inform evidence-based policymaking. Activities such as the “Road to Belém” seminar series and expert podcasts foster dialogue between policymakers, industry and academia. Together, these initiatives strengthen understanding of how trade can enable sustainable growth and help position Australia and its partners as leaders in the global green transition.

Defence and national security

Evolving global trade landscape

The global trade system is being reshaped by protectionism, geopolitical rivalry, technological disruption, and the reconfiguration of supply chains around security and resilience. Our research explores these profound shifts to help governments, businesses and communities adapt to a more complex, contested environment.

Focusing on two core pillars — Geoeconomics, Decoupling and Supply Chain Security, and Technological Transformation, Trade and Firm Strategy — the program examines how strategic competition, digitalisation, and emerging technologies are redefining global commerce.

Through interdisciplinary research spanning economics, law and international relations, IIT delivers policy-relevant insights and evidence-based recommendations to support decision-makers across Australia and the Indo-Pacific. The program also strengthens national capability by embedding PhD and early-career researcher projects within its agenda, integrating new knowledge into teaching, executive training and capacity-building.

Collaborating with government, industry and international partners, IIT translates research into action through policy briefs, workshops and roundtables. Its work equips stakeholders to navigate uncertainty, enhance resilience and harness new opportunities within an evolving global trade order.

Working Paper 03-2026

Alfinura Sharafeyeva, "US-Australia Critical Minerals Framework: Policy Coherence and Implementation"

The October 2025 US-Australia Critical Minerals Framework expanded access to US financing and affirmed shared supply-chain goals, but it remains non-binding. This paper assesses how far the Framework's ambitions survive contact with implementation. It traces early project-level activity, including EXIM letters of interest and the Lynas Texas separation plant, and sets these against the localisation incentives embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act and the discretionary reach of Section 232. Domestically, it identifies fragmented permitting, rising capital costs, and a thin downstream base as binding constraints, and proposes reforms spanning offtake, permitting, IRA eligibility, and low-carbon certification.

Working Paper 02-2026

Nathan Gray, "Trump Administration Critical Minerals Partnerships"

In its first fifteen months, the second Trump administration concluded eighteen bilateral critical minerals agreements, from the operationally detailed US-Australia and US-Japan frameworks to the eleven preliminary MoUs signed at the February 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial. This paper sorts them into four institutional tiers and compares their architecture, financial commitments, and timelines. It identifies a structural contradiction: bilateral frameworks encourage allied processing while Section 232 remedies could tax precisely those activities absent country-specific exemptions. With public-backed finance at a low single-digit share of what diversification requires, the paper sets out four priorities for Australian policymakers.

Working Paper 01-2026

Ron Wickes and Mike Adams, "Australia's China Trade: The Impact of Productivity Increases on Diversification, Trade and Welfare"

Can higher Australian productivity diversify our export trade with China? Using the GTAP model, including an extension allowing for firm heterogeneity, this paper tests economy-wide and sector-specific productivity shocks and finds the answer is largely no. Complementarities in the Australia-China trade relationship are strong enough that a one per cent shock mostly reinforces the existing pattern. The authors argue the case for productivity nonetheless holds on other grounds: it amplifies gains from tariff elimination, offsets competitor productivity, and substantially reduces welfare losses under a scenario of forced diversification through partner restrictions.

In an era of heightened debate over global trade, the legitimacy of trade agreements, and the resurgence of protectionism, access to clear, evidence-based insights has never been more important. We are committed to supporting informed, transparent, and responsible trade policy.

Through its working papers, we publish and share rigorous research and practical insights with policymakers, industry, and the broader community. By actively promoting this work and fostering dialogue across government, business, and civil society, we ensure our research contributes to real-world policy outcomes.

Read past working papers

Policy Brief 01-2026

Jim Redden, Peter Draper and Jameson Henderson-Redden

"First Explicitly Environmental Trade Agreement Offers Tangible Benefits for Pacific Island Countries"

The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force in September 2025 after two decades of negotiation, disciplining subsidies tied to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This brief sets out what the Agreement means for Pacific island countries, where fish underpins diet, employment and export earnings, and where IUU activity costs an estimated USD333 million annually. It examines the new Fish Fund, the state of ratification across the region, and the position of non-WTO Pacific members. The authors argue the gains depend on concluding Fish 2, where two countries currently hold up progress.

In a rapidly evolving global trade environment, timely and policy-relevant insights are essential. Our policy briefs provide concise, accessible analysis on cross-cutting issues shaping the international trade and investment landscape, with a strong Australian and regional perspective. Covering areas such as trade policy, trade agreements, trade and investment analysis, and economic modelling, these briefs examine how evidence-based frameworks can address economic challenges, assess the impacts of trade agreements, and analyse services trade, foreign investment, and market access.

Read past policy briefs

Engage with us

We excel at helping individuals and organisations through our research and capacity building across global trade policy, investment and development. We offer thought leadership spanning trade agreements, services and FDI analysis, economic modelling, and regional integration to strengthen institutions, inform policymaking and share knowledge through high-level conferences, workshops and international collaborations. We warmly invite you to contact us to discuss how we can work together.

Engage with us

Contact us

Institute for International Trade

Location
Institute for International Trade
Adelaide University
Level 5, 10 Pulteney Street, Adelaide, SA 5005

Phone: +61 8 8313 6900

Email: iit@adelaide.edu.au