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.

The purpose of this paper is to revisit some earlier work that attempted to estimate the proportion of the mining industry that is foreign owned. This was made possible with access to the Bloomberg Professional Terminal database that gives corporate ownership by geographic region.

The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine is primarily a human tragedy. It also has manifold implications for global policy-making. This report seeks to inform the international investment policy community hosted at the OECD about: the main implications for investment policy; measures, impacts and trends that...

This paper investigates the underlying drivers attracting cross-border investment to housing market across Australia, explores how these ‘pull factors’ varied before and after the changes of foreign investment policy settings, and how shifting foreign investment regulations over the past decade influenced local housing affordability.

Australia needs to emphasise investment with India to properly unlock the synergies between the two economies. This report identifies three specific strategies for realising this goal: promoting Australia private sector investment into India, the encouragement of joint ventures in global value chains, and the alignment...

In December 2020, the Australian Parliament passed legislation that gave effect to the most significant reforms to Australia’s foreign investment framework since 1975. This evaluation found that in their first year, the reforms had achieved the government’s aims, particularly by ensuring that investments which may...

This report examines the global reorientation in trade and investment that is underway in the transition to net zero emissions, and considers what these trends mean for Australia.

Since the advent of European settlement, Australia has been a net recipient of foreign investment. Foreign investment is crucial to grow the Australian economy, but it does not necessarily follow that all foreign investment is equally productive. The committee urges the Australian government to accept...

This paper argues that countries in the Indo-Pacific region are looking to the Biden Administration to finally deliver on the Indo-Pacific 'pivot' that Washington has been promising for a decade.

The Australian government has regulated foreign investment since 1975. This draft report presents the Commission’s preliminary analysis and views on the rationales for the Register of Foreign-owned Water Entitlements, its effectiveness, costs and benefits, and possible improvements, for both its current and future forms.

This report delivers the Productivity Commission’s estimates of assistance provided to businesses for the year to June 2020. The review is set against a background of unprecedented industry assistance to counter the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, although most of this assistance has been...

This paper argues that the downturn in foreign investment in Australia, including from the United States, can be explained by the pandemic downturn in global investment, a reduced Australian international borrowing requirement, more competitive US tax settings, and an increase in regulation and regulatory uncertainty...

This inquiry report aim to position Australia so it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic in a more secure, stable, and profitable position than before. The recommendations have been informed by a range of stakeholders, who provided evidence on the opportunities and challenges related to diversification.

The Australian Government established the Register of Foreign Ownership of Water Entitlements (the Register) in 2017. The primary aim of the Register is to increase transparency about foreign ownership of Australian water assets and, more broadly, maintain community confidence in Australia’s foreign investment policy. This...

Under the Australian Government’s Regulator Performance Framework, regulators must undertake an annual self-assessment of their performance against six key outcome-based performance indicators (KPIs). The overall 2019-20 assessment for Treasury and the ATO in relation to Australia’s foreign investment framework was that the KPIs were met.

This report argues that since the Second World War, no single country has continually helped Australia to be more innovative than the United States. In addition to the fact Australia now receives more investment from the United States than any other country, US investment is...

This report argues that as Australia seeks to develop even more sophisticated and high-value goods and services, partnerships and investment by US companies will continue to be vital for Australia’s technology and research sectors, helping to keep us at the cutting edge of productive innovation...

This research paper looks at the trends, drivers and effects of foreign investment in Australia, and the Australian government’s foreign investment policy. Foreign investment is beneficial for the Australian economy, but brings some risk which can be managed by government policy.

This paper outlines the most comprehensive reforms to Australia’s foreign investment review framework in more than 20 years. The Australian government will shortly release exposure draft legislation for consultation on the reforms prior to its introduction into Parliament, and provide further guidance for investors on...

This paper discusses how the COVID-related recession will significantly dampen international capital flows in 2020.