NewsBite

Australian economy

Yesterday

President Donald Trump (pictured) likes tariffs because he believes other economies have no choice but to continue to sell into the enormous American market.

Will Australia get a tariff exemption? A Washington insider’s take

Some White House advisers seem to want Australia to experience the pain of tariffs before there is any negotiated relief as a move to enhance America’s bargaining position.

  • John Lee

This Month

John Howard, Paul Keating and even Kevin Rudd knew how to make the case for policy reform.

As Rome burns, Australia fiddles with small-minded debate

Australia needs a revolution on tax, deregulation, energy supply and competition, not fiddling around the edges with small-minded economic debate.

  • John Kehoe
President Trump’s threats of swinging tariffs bring to mind someone holding themselves hostage by turning a weapon on themselves.

Could Donald Trump’s tariffs trigger an Australian rate cut?

A global trade conflict might accelerate the RBA rate cut path rather than slow it down.

  • Stephen Miller
JB Hi-Fi shares just keep going up.

What we learnt: Why market darlings JB Hi-Fi and Carsales got hammered

A couple of ASX darlings and a comeback story have grabbed our attention as earnings season ramps up. Profits are good but what does it mean for the RBA meeting?

  • James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald
Michele Bullock, governor of the Reserve Bank.

There is no way the Reserve Bank can cut interest rates next week

The central bank would be well advised not to misjudge the politics. An easing of monetary policy would put more jobs and more inflation into the economy. Is that what people really want?

  • Warren Hogan
Advertisement
Victoria, under Premier Jacinta Allan, is being urged to overhaul its payroll tax settings.

Australia’s looming debt crisis could be a real opportunity

Why not use the looming fiscal crisis of the states to tackle the buck-passing by seriously reforming which tier of government is responsible for spending?

  • Michael Stutchbury

Directors warn of investment delays amid Trump, election uncertainty

Company directors from Macquarie, Fortescue, Dexus and Perpetual say Donald Trump and the upcoming election will lead to projects being delayed or paused.

  • Sally Patten and Patrick Durkin
Ross Gittins and Richard Holden.

Richard Holden is wrong. Ross Gittins is right about the economics rot

Economists desperately want to convince themselves the world is as simple as C + I + G + (X - M). That’s what generations of students have been taught to believe.

  • John Roskam

‘The world has shifted’: CEOs query penalty rates, right to disconnect

As executives ramp up pressure on Labor and the Coalition to do more to reverse a productivity slump, more flexible workplace laws have become a priority.

  • John Kehoe
Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

Chalmers claims the jobs boom is private-sector led

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has hit back at critics who argue many of the 1.1 million extra created during the Albanese government have been underwritten by taxpayers.

  • John Kehoe and Michael Read
“Agencies view the Australian governments, by world standards, as remaining a safe harbor for investors”: NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey.

States reject ratings warning on debt

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey is returning from a US mission to keep debt costs down, but S&P warns Australian states’ credit ratings are at risk of downgrade.

  • Paul Karp, Gus McCubbing, Simon Evans and Tom Rabe
Jo Masters at Barrenjoey says Trump tariffs are heightening uncertainty.

These five economists make a bold prediction on next rate cut

Analysts at Barrenjoey, Deloitte, KPMG, Judo Bank and Oxford Economics are tipping that the Reserve Bank will keep rates on hold on February 18.

  • Updated
  • Cecile Lefort
I saw firsthand the frustration of experienced economists—many former Treasury officials—who opposed Future Made in Australia, the Albanese government’s flagship policy in the 2024–25 Budget.

Trump’s tariffs show why economics should be compulsory at school

If we want smarter economic policies, we need to invest in economic education first.

  • Chae Jeong
Paul Bloxham, chief economist at HSBC.

Meet the most accurate economic forecaster of 2024

The Reserve Bank will cut the cash rate, according to Paul Bloxham, but don’t count on a big drop in borrowing costs as this cycle will be a short one.

  • Updated
  • Cecile Lefort
Trump’s tariff war will force investors to recalculate their assumptions.

Trump’s trade war could hit inflation, rates, and growth in Australia

The pressure is on the Albanese government to negotiate the same deal the Turnbull government did in 2018, which exempted Australia from steel and aluminium tariffs.

  • The AFR View
Advertisement
China’s manufacturing has slowed: US tariffs could make this slowdown worse.

Trump tariffs could hit Australian miners through China slowdown

Fresh US levies could knock Australia’s bottom line through reduced demand for key commodities, as Chinese manufacturers face mounting pressure to cut output.

  • Jessica Sier
For all the focus on geopolitics and trade, fundamental investors will make decisions based on earnings handed down in February.

ASX’s most important sprint collides with Trump and AI

Buckle up, share prices will jump around in the coming four weeks. Reporting season gets less predictable as analyst coverage thins.

  • Anthony Macdonald
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

‘Prosperity first’ to get us out of economic stagnation

Whoever wins the next election, if a decision comes before you, employ one criterion: will this make Australia more or less prosperous?

  • Updated
  • Steven Hamilton
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media at the Swinburne Tafe, Croydon.

Voters will be better off under Labor, PM promises – again

Anthony Albanese concedes he hasn’t been able to keep the same pledge he made three years ago, but insists this time will be different.

  • Phillip Coorey

January

Peter Dutton spoke in Sydney on Friday.

Dutton’s economic pitch is all vibe, not details

Dutton’s back-to-basics approach on economics offers a sharp contrast to Labor’s bigger government record of the past three years, but policy proposals are scant.

  • John Kehoe

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/australian-economy-1m3k