Overview

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is a modern regional arrangement to build cooperation and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific.

On 9 September 2022, Australia joined 13 other IPEF members from across the Indo-Pacific region to launch negotiations across four core pillars of work:

• trade, including digital trade
• supply chains
• clean energy, decarbonisation and infrastructure
• tax and anti-corruption

Details on the scope of work to be covered in each pillar are set out in the joint ministerial statements released on 9 September (links to each statement are set out above).

The formal launch of negotiations on 9 September followed Australia’s decision to join IPEF as a founding member on 23 May 2022. The joint statement released at the time of the launch contains further information on the broad ambition of the IPEF initiative.

Australia hosted the first round of negotiations in December 2022 in Brisbane with further rounds expected throughout 2023.

IPEF brings together some of the largest and most dynamic regional economies, accounting for around 40 per cent of global GDP and including eight of Australia’s top ten merchandise trading partners. Australia is a founding member of IPEF, alongside Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

IPEF will seek to complement and build on existing regional architecture and support the global rules-based trading system.

Submissions

To assist the Australian Government in negotiations on the IPEF, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade welcomes submissions from interested stakeholders.

Individuals, groups and organisations are invited to consider and comment on the opportunities and impacts that could arise from a broad-ranging regional economic framework.

As noted above, the joint ministerial statements issued at the launch on 9 September 2022 set out the types of issues that IPEF countries have agreed to consider under each pillar of work and provide further detail on what the IPEF negotiations are expected to cover.

IPEF is intended to establish a contemporary style of trade architecture, which could cover modern trade rules as well as specific regional projects and initiatives, including joint public-private activities.  For that reason, we encourage the submission of innovative and new ideas about what could be contained in a regional economic framework focused on current and future challenges and problems.

Submissions Received

• Australian Council of Trade Unions [PDF 455 KB]
• Australian Fair Trade & Investment Network (AFTINET) [PDF 581 KB]
• Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) [PDF 276 KB]
• Coalition of Services Industries (CSI) [PDF 233 KB]
• Microsoft [PDF 329 KB]
• Motion Picture Association Asia Pacific [PDF 203 KB]
• The Software Alliance (BSA) [PDF 297 KB]
• Trade Justice Education Fund [PDF 223 KB]
• Uniting Church in Australia [PDF 662 KB]

Contact and consultations

An in-person stakeholder event was held in the margins of the Brisbane negotiation round and DFAT continues to hold virtual and in-person stakeholder consultation sessions on IPEF.

For further information on consultations, submissions or questions on the IPEF agenda please contact IPEF@dfat.gov.au.