The Productivity Inquiry focuses on the enablers of productivity growth in a modern, market-based, service-oriented world. The second interim report explores how digital technology and data can be used to improve Australia’s productivity.

This report argues that in Australia’s low tariff-rate environment, the costs of the tariffs arise primarily from the complexity of the tariff system, rather than from distortions to the economy. These costs are in addition to the tariff itself and increase costs of businesses, and eventually, prices to consumers.

This annual review contains the Commission’s latest quantitative estimates of Australian government assistance to industry, and provides a summary of developments in industry assistance, trade policy and foreign investment over the past year.

Improving Australia’s productivity performance requires overcoming specific challenges. This document sets out areas of policy focus which, in the Commission's judgment, best reflect the balance of challenges and opportunities that Australia faces.

This second annual data compilation report provides a point-in-time snapshot of data for monitoring progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed in July 2020.