News, speeches and media

The Australian Government approved a $1.25 billion loan through the Critical Minerals Facility to Australian company Iluka Resources, to develop Australia’s first integrated rare earths refinery in Western Australia.

Australia today signs an historic trade agreement with India, the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, that will further strengthen our relationship while making Australian exports to India cheaper and creating huge new opportunities for workers and businesses.

The Australian Government will contribute an additional $85 million and offer at least 10 million vaccine doses to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) to help lift global vaccination rates, guard against future variants and further protect the health security of Australia’s region.

The Australian Government is cutting red tape, improving access to markets and supporting new trade opportunities and jobs through its Digital Trade Strategy.

In Beijing, Australian citizen Ms Cheng Lei faced a closed trial on charges of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. At the end of proceedings, the court deferred its verdict.

Ms Harinder Sidhu will be Australia’s next High Commissioner to New Zealand.

Australia and Papua New Guinea have signed the second bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the new Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

The Australian Government is taking further action to increase the economic costs to Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus, by applying an additional tariff of 35 per cent for all imports from Russia and Belarus.