Anthony Albanese will use a major speech to push Australia’s case on international trade after securing several significant breakthroughs.
The prime minister’s pitch follows the abolition of US tariffs on Australian beef and other agricultural exports, as well as key security and defence agreements inked with near neighbours.
“Geographically centred in this region, we are uniquely placed to further our shared interests as well as to demonstrate solutions and strategies to solve shared problems,” Albanese will say, according to an advanced copy of his remarks.
“Perhaps now more than ever that is the role of a middle power.”
Albanese highlights the enduring value of APEC, a forum of 21 member economies that promotes free trade and investment across the Asia-Pacific region.
The forum accounts for more than 60 per cent of global GDP and 75 per cent of Australia’s trade.
“In an economy like ours, where one-in-four Australian jobs depends on trade, the impact of that market and those supply chains is enormous,” Albanese will tell an audience in Melbourne on Monday.
Australia and Indonesia have locked in a treaty after months of negotiation, committing both countries to conduct routine consultations on security issues.
The prime minister’s speech also touches on a pact with Papua New Guinea, elevating its relationship with Australia to the level of alliances with New Zealand and the United States.
Australia’s political leaders have celebrated the lifting of US tariffs on beef and other agricultural goods, along with a major agreement on critical minerals.
Albanese’s team will soon shift its focus to eliminating all remaining trade barriers with the US.
The prime minister also has his sights on advancements in clean energy, artificial intelligence and a broader evolution in global trade.
“All of these represent Australian challenges and Australian opportunities. But not uniquely so,” he will say.
“They are global in scale and they connect us all. That is why we cannot find our prosperity — or our place in the world — by only looking inward.”
