This quarterly publication presents analysis of contemporary trade issues and consolidates trade-related statistics produced by various Australian government agencies and international organisations into a single publication. Trade Topics provides readers with a single reference document to use in analysing aspects of trends in Australia’s trade without having to manually consolidate trade data from various trade-related publications.

This spring 2007 issue leads with an article highlighting the strengthening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) medium-term work agenda on trade and investment arising from the recently held APEC Leaders’ and APEC Ministerial meetings in Sydney. The next article considers recent developments in world trade. This is followed by an article on Australia’s diamond trade and the United Nations-backed Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which was established to curb the illicit trade in ‘conflict diamonds’. Australia is a founding member of KPCS and implements its obligations through customs legislation and regulations.