Supply Chains and the International Trade Order: Policy Tools for Uncertain Times
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What policy tools do governments and business have in reducing the risk of global economic uncertainty? How can exporters use multilateral frameworks to minimise risk and engage with emerging markets across ASEAN to secure resilient supply chains?
On Tuesday, May 31st at 3pm AEST, join our panel of experts Dr Vinh Thai, Asia Society Supply Chain Fellow, Anita Prakash, Director for Policy Relations, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, David Morfesi, Director, International Trade, MinterEllison and Dr Deborah Elms, Founder and Executive Director, Asian Trade Center for a discussion on the tools and policy choices for resilient supply chain management in an age of uncertainty.
China’s stringent rules to curb an omicron induced COVID-19 outbreak, as well as food and energy shortages caused by war in Ukraine threaten to unleash another wave of uncertainty on supply chains in the Indo-Pacific. Renewed stresses placed on supply chains at a national and global level have demonstrated the need to simultaneously strengthen resilience without undermining the benefits of rules-based international trade.
At a national level, political leaders and policymakers alike will need to employ the appropriate tools to reduce risk and promote growth without the need of a zero-sum dilemma. And while government can take various actions, ensuring resilient global supply chains also requires efforts at an international level. Deft use of existing multilateral agreements such as the RCEP and CPTPP, as well as institutions such as the WTO, will therefore be an essential part of a full range of economic co-operation tools to rebuilding confidence in global markets.
Date: Tuesday 31 May 2022
Time: 3-4 p.m. AEST
Venue: Online – Zoom meeting.
Register: https://invtdu.to/_vekn6
Please note this event will run as a webcast only. Registration is essential. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected].
Video
About our Speakers

Vinh Thai, Asia Society Australia Supply Chain Fellow and Associate Professor at the School of Accounting, Information Systems and Supply Chain, RMIT University
Dr Vinh Thai is an associate professor at the School of Accounting, Information Systems and Supply Chain of RMIT University. He is currently an Associate Editor of the Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics and is known internationally for his research in logistics and supply chain management in general and maritime logistics in particular.
He has so far published more than 140 international peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers, and several book chapters, in leading academic journals e.g. Transportation Research Part E, Transportation Research Part A, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, International Journal of Logistics Management, International Journal of Shipping & Transport Logistics, Maritime Policy & Management, Maritime Economics & Logistics, etc

Anita Prakash, Director for Policy Relations, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
Anita Prakash is Director (Policy Relations) in the Office of President of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta, Indonesia.
Her policy research supports the summits and ministerial processes in ASEAN, East Asia and Oceania, Europe and Africa, notably the Trade Ministers meetings in ASEAN, the East Asia Summit, Asia-Europe Meeting, and the T 20 and Sherpa process in G20.
Her policy research covers international trade, multilateral governance and international relations with special focus on trade and investment, regional value chains and connectivity in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and between Asia-Europe and Asia-Africa.
Prior to her work at ERIA, she served as Director in the Government of India in the Department of Commerce, and NITI Aayog. She was a Visiting Research Associate at the Graduate Institute, Geneva from 2016 to 2019. She writes extensively on connectivity in Indo-Pacific and has written the vision documents for Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and Asia-Europe Connectivity.
She is an alumni of Delhi University (M.Phil) and Australian National University (MBA).

David Morfesi, Director, International Trade, MinterEllison
As the Director of MinterEllison's International Trade Group, David specialises in WTO law, free trade agreements, bilateral investment treaties, anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, export controls, trade remedies, customs matters, regulatory matters affecting trade in goods and services, and a full range of intellectual property law and policy matters.
Prior to joining MinterEllison, he was a trade negotiator for the Office of the United States Trade Representative, in the Executive Office of the President, based in both Washington, DC and Geneva, Switzerland. In addition to US free trade agreement negotiations and serving as delegate to the WTO and UN organisations in Geneva, he represented the US as counsel and technical expert for WTO dispute resolution.
David served as Executive Director of the Institute for International Trade and Founder and Director of the EU Centre for Global Affairs at the University of Adelaide, and the Inaugural Yeutter Visiting Professor of International Trade Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He has provided training and technical assistance on trade and economic development to officials from over 100 countries worldwide.

Dr. Deborah Elms, Founder and Executive Director, Asian Trade Center
Dr. Deborah Elms is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre and the President of the Asia Business Trade Association. Concurrently, she is a member of APCO’s International Advisory Council, the G20 Trade and Investment Research Network, and the Advisory Board of the Trade and Investment Negotiation Adviser at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Dr. Elms has extensive experience working with governments, international organizations, and businesses and is one of the leading experts on trade policy in the region.
She was also active in her past leadership posts in international trade groups having served on the Trade and Investment Council of the World Economic Forum from 2017 to 2019, the International Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance, as well as being the chair of its Working Group on Trade Policy and Law.
Prior to her current role, Dr. Elms was head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations and Senior Fellow of International Political Economy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Dr. Elms received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Washington, an MA in international relations from the University of Southern California, and bachelor’s degrees from Boston University. Dr. Elms frequently appears in the media to provide expert analysis on trade issues in the region and publishes the Talking Trade Blog.

James Scullin, Director, Programs, Asia Society Australia (Moderator)
James Scullin joined Asia Society Australia in June 2021. He is a program and project manager with experience developing diverse and tailored programs for Australian business with a focus on Asian business engagement, foreign policy, climate change and cultural awareness.
Prior to Asia Society, James was National Project Manager for the Australia China Business Council (ACBC). In this role, James developed and managed a multitude of projects, working with ACBC’s business membership and Federal and State Governments to foster greater understanding and business engagement with China. His project portfolio included high-level national China policy briefings, China-Australia Free Trade Agreement advocacy across regional Australia, market entry delegations to China, an Australia-China business podcast, and online business support camps.
James has also worked with trade and investment advisory firm TradeWorthy on Asia Development Bank research on Belt and Road integration in ASEAN countries. Previously, James lived and worked in Beijing as an environmental consultant on European Commission climate change and development projects. He also worked as a tour leader to North Korea and in 2020 self-published the photography book Hotels of Pyongyang.
James is a graduate of the University of Melbourne where he holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Environmental Policy. He speaks Chinese and German.
This program is presented in partnership with the Global Victoria Trade Alliance program
