Stephen Jacobi
@stephenjacobi.bsky.social
Trade, govt rels & eco dev. ED - NZIBF/TradeWorks, ANZLF. Anglican, thinks global & local, views from this a/c my own, retweets no endorsement
Great advocacy from my (honorary) colleague Lucy Cassells at the Helen Clark Foundation
With all the challenges facing the UN, now isn’t the time to throw in the towel on our global meeting house.
The UN is at its weakest – and NZ needs it more than ever
newsroom.co.nz
October 31, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Great advocacy from my (honorary) colleague Lucy Cassells at the Helen Clark Foundation
“Australia’s superannuation funds will increase investments in the United States to $1.44 trillion by 2035—an increase of almost $1 trillion from current levels.
This unprecedented investment will create tens of thousands of new, high-paying jobs for Americans.”
This unprecedented investment will create tens of thousands of new, high-paying jobs for Americans.”
The Trump administration is generating military contracts for their private sector allies:
"Australia agreed to purchase $1.2 billion in Anduril unmanned underwater vehicles"
www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...
"Australia agreed to purchase $1.2 billion in Anduril unmanned underwater vehicles"
www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Closes Billion-Dollar Deals with Australia
ACHIEVING CRITICAL MINERAL AND ENERGY DOMINANCE: Today, President Donald J. Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a landmark
www.whitehouse.gov
October 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
“Australia’s superannuation funds will increase investments in the United States to $1.44 trillion by 2035—an increase of almost $1 trillion from current levels.
This unprecedented investment will create tens of thousands of new, high-paying jobs for Americans.”
This unprecedented investment will create tens of thousands of new, high-paying jobs for Americans.”
“Budget 2024 maintained high levels of fiscal stimulus – despite being popularly characterised as austere. The government reduced taxes while maintaining high levels of spending, covering the gap between the two with borrowing – while promising reduced spending in future.”
Week in Review:
While former and current PMs bash the central bank for failing to cut rates more aggressively, politicians must take their share of the blame for our fiscal plight
While former and current PMs bash the central bank for failing to cut rates more aggressively, politicians must take their share of the blame for our fiscal plight
Criticising the Reserve Bank for doing its job
newsroom.co.nz
September 26, 2025 at 9:28 PM
“Budget 2024 maintained high levels of fiscal stimulus – despite being popularly characterised as austere. The government reduced taxes while maintaining high levels of spending, covering the gap between the two with borrowing – while promising reduced spending in future.”
What’s an small open, economy in the South Pacific gonna do ?
Comment: The biggest risk to NZ today is becoming trapped in one or other 'camp'. While some want to raise the stakes, we should remain open to a range of partnerships.
How does NZ outrun the grizzly bear?
newsroom.co.nz
August 10, 2025 at 9:07 PM
What’s an small open, economy in the South Pacific gonna do ?
A minefield to put it mildly. Will create innumerable problems of interpretation esp for business.
EU/US Trade Deal
"The political agreement of 27 July 2025 is not legally binding. Beyond taking the immediate actions committed, the EU and the US will further negotiate, in line with their relevant internal procedures, to fully implement the political agreement."
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
"The political agreement of 27 July 2025 is not legally binding. Beyond taking the immediate actions committed, the EU and the US will further negotiate, in line with their relevant internal procedures, to fully implement the political agreement."
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
EU-US trade deal explained
On 27 July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald J. Trump agreed a deal on tariffs and trade.
ec.europa.eu
July 29, 2025 at 7:20 PM
A minefield to put it mildly. Will create innumerable problems of interpretation esp for business.
This will be interesting to watch - does the rest if the world still uphold the rules-based system or not?
Well, it turns out that Brazil was pretty brave, and 40 other countries supported it
bsky.app/profile/copp...
bsky.app/profile/copp...
Brazil has slammed the US for blatantly violating WTO core principles, which “are essential to the functioning of international trade”, and for “an extremely dangerous shift” to use tariffs “to interfere in the domestic affairs of third countries”.
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/07/23/b...
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/07/23/b...
July 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
This will be interesting to watch - does the rest if the world still uphold the rules-based system or not?
IP4 turning into IP1 as Japan, Korea, Australia not attending leaving plucky NZ to fill the breach!
Ishiba is scrapping plans to attend the NATO summit this week in light of the situation in the Middle East, which among other things he won't have a second face-to-face with Trump this month. That might be for the best.
www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...
www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...
石破首相 NATO首脳会議への出席取りやめる方向で調整 | NHK
【NHK】石破総理大臣は、アメリカがイランの核施設を攻撃するなど中東情勢が緊迫していることなどを踏まえ、今週予定していたNATO＝…
www3.nhk.or.jp
June 23, 2025 at 9:01 PM
IP4 turning into IP1 as Japan, Korea, Australia not attending leaving plucky NZ to fill the breach!
“As a small country, you have to acknowledge we’re not a medium power, not a large power, right? So I have to find ways to influence what I believe in and what we believe in in New Zealand – which is a set of values – and actually put voice to those values and articulate them well,” Luxon said.
Christopher Luxon has proved he can go one-for-one with the big names in his most important test of leader-to-leader diplomacy to date
PM appeals to China’s ego in the pursuit of peace
newsroom.co.nz
June 20, 2025 at 8:12 PM
“As a small country, you have to acknowledge we’re not a medium power, not a large power, right? So I have to find ways to influence what I believe in and what we believe in in New Zealand – which is a set of values – and actually put voice to those values and articulate them well,” Luxon said.
Very pleased to see Southern Link now becoming a commercial reality!
China considers a long-mooted Southern Link deal part of its Belt and Road global expansion project, but NZ policy is 'no' to Belt and Road deals.
Confusion as NZ becomes midpoint on China route to South America
newsroom.co.nz
June 19, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Very pleased to see Southern Link now becoming a commercial reality!
When the OECD urges countries to “strike deals” with the US you know we must be in trouble…
on.ft.com/4dNjrGI Donald Trump’s go-it-alone trade doctrine shakes Paris summit
Donald Trump’s go-it-alone trade doctrine shakes Paris summit
‘We’re really where we were before the meeting, which is nowhere,’ says one official at OECD annual meeting
on.ft.com
June 7, 2025 at 8:46 PM
When the OECD urges countries to “strike deals” with the US you know we must be in trouble…
Blimey !
US Court of International Trade just issued decision in case against Trump tariffs filed by Liberty Justice Center and me. All "Liberation Day"/IEEPA tariffs ruled illegal, and blocked by injunction! See link for opinion. I will have much more to say soon: www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/fi...
www.cit.uscourts.gov
May 28, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Blimey !
Uh oh
USTR just requested comments on "Foreign Nations Freeloading on American-Financed Innovation." This is the issue where Trump may try to use economic leverage (eg tariffs) to prevent foreign governments from negotiating low drug prices. Hard to imagine they will have much luck, but we'll see.
ustr.gov
May 23, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Uh oh
Lord have mercy
The world has finally totally given up on Gaza and will permit Israel to conduct its final erasure project. Between Trump’s chaotic, strategy-free flailing around and Europe’s paralysed waiting for a good idea to pop up, Gaza has been abandoned. This will be to everyone’s eternal shame. #fastforgaza
May 18, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Lord have mercy
This is awful but it is one side’s spin.
Lutnick referencing the "tariff wall" concept again, saying the UK is "going to put the same kind of tariffs, the same kind of quotas, keep out the bad guys and lets build our steel and aluminium industries inside our walled countries together." www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRJ-... 1/
Lutnick Says UK Trade Deal Shows Tariff Framework
YouTube video by Bloomberg Television
www.youtube.com
May 9, 2025 at 8:51 AM
This is awful but it is one side’s spin.
Pleased to be chairing this new group advising on the implementation of trade agreements. We have a defined mandate around the NZ/EU FTA and the sustainability and labour provisions of the NZ/UK FTA.
There are hopes a new scrutiny mechanism can lead to greater accountability for NZ's trade deals – but others say they must be involved before the horse has bolted.
New group to hold Govt to account on trade deals
newsroom.co.nz
May 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Pleased to be chairing this new group advising on the implementation of trade agreements. We have a defined mandate around the NZ/EU FTA and the sustainability and labour provisions of the NZ/UK FTA.
Obit Joseph Nye - outstanding scholar of soft power politics.
I am shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of my colleague Joseph Nye, who recruited me to Harvard a quarter-century ago. He was a highly accomplished scholar, an innovative Dean, and a devoted public servant. Also a very decent and humane man, who will be missed at Harvard and beyond.
May 7, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Obit Joseph Nye - outstanding scholar of soft power politics.
Some pleasing momentum here but it should not detract from deepening and expanding #CPTPP.
EU eyes closer ties to transpacific bloc as Trump jolts trade order www.ft.com/content/bee3... via @financialtimes.com
EU eyes closer ties to transpacific bloc as Trump jolts trade order
Brussels revives plan to forge strategic partnership with CPTPP to defend rules-based global system
www.ft.com
May 5, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Some pleasing momentum here but it should not detract from deepening and expanding #CPTPP.
“Canada now desperately needs to diversify its trade. Jacobi suggests that may increase their interest in expanding the CPTP”
Analysis: If Mark Carney wants to claim the moral high ground in a trade war with Trump, arguably his first task should be to clean shop, writes Jonathan Milne.
New Canadian PM can take chance to resolve NZ trade dispute – McClay
newsroom.co.nz
April 30, 2025 at 2:56 AM
“Canada now desperately needs to diversify its trade. Jacobi suggests that may increase their interest in expanding the CPTP”
Happy Easter from Tokyo everyone!
April 20, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Happy Easter from Tokyo everyone!
Not good news
WTO update on impact of tariffs and uncertainty. This is premised on the tariff situation as of 14 April. Trade could shrink even further, to -1.5% in 2025, if the situation deteriorates: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vovw...
Impact of tariffs and uncertainty
YouTube video by World Trade Organization
www.youtube.com
April 18, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Not good news
Walking through the shrines and temples of stunning Kyoto is soothing for the soul in this contested and anxious world.
April 12, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Walking through the shrines and temples of stunning Kyoto is soothing for the soul in this contested and anxious world.
This is happening right now … I am at a loss to know what can be done or who can bring together the political will to stop this inhumane suffering.
The feared total breakdown in Gaza seems to be upon us now. Dr Fadel Naim. Surgeon at our Al Ahli Hospital has issued a desperate emergency appeal for ACTION. This still seems to fall on deaf ears.
April 5, 2025 at 8:27 AM
This is happening right now … I am at a loss to know what can be done or who can bring together the political will to stop this inhumane suffering.
Weird !
james surowiecki has discovered where the completely fabricated trump tariff rate has come from for each country
"...for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us."
"...for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us."
April 2, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Weird !
What a waste of time - can MPs please focus on serious issues that matter (like getting lunch out on time) …
Notice that this cowardly bill would still permit medical schools to have special entry pathways for rural applicants because it’s OK to have measures that specifically address existing inequities in the health services for farmers because they vote for ACT …
ACT MP launches member's bill to stop universities offering services 'based on race'
An ACT MP has drafted a member's bill she says would "ensure universities do not allocate resources, benefits or opportunities based on race".
www.rnz.co.nz
March 29, 2025 at 5:59 AM
What a waste of time - can MPs please focus on serious issues that matter (like getting lunch out on time) …
Not looking good …
Trump says he is going to implement tariffs next week on all countries
March 26, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Not looking good …