Australia-Japan Trade Relations: The Coal Industry as a Case in Point

Abstract

The paper examines whether the move towards free trade and multilateralism is working to Australia's advantage, and attempts to gauge the effectiveness and implications of the increased emphasis on trade liberalisation. The first section of the paper examines the Taylor Report into the Australian coal industry and Australian-Japanese trade relations in that industry. In the second part, the rise of free trade and the decline of a bilateral capacity within the Australian bureaucracy is examined. The implications of these positions are considered in the light of contemporary theoretical debates.