August 27, 2026: Most Pacific Island countries have rejected deep sea mining because of its environmental impacts on fragile marine environments.  As some Pacific governments consider whether to allow deep-sea mining, a new report by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), Undermining Sovereignty: De-Risking the Pacific from Investor-State Disputes in Deep-Sea Mining, examines what the threat of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) means for Pacific Island countries.

August 20, 2026: AFTINET joined more than 70 civil society organisations across Southeast Asia in calling on governments to keep the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism out of the upcoming review of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), warning that ISDS undermines governments’ ability to pursue a just energy transition. Over 80 organisations also called for ISDS to be removed from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (ANNZFTA) which is also being reviewed.

August 13, 2026: The Swiss Federal Court has now published the decision in which it dismissed a technical challenge lodged by Australian billionaire Clive Palmers company Zeph Investments against the September 2025 ISDS tribunal award . The tribunal had declined jurisdiction over Zeph’s claims under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement (AANZFTA).

This decision confirms that Palmer is not a foreign investor and could not claim $300 billion over a disputed Western Australian iron ore mining license which he lost in the High Court. The decision confirms that he must pay the Australian government’s ISDS tribunal legal costs of $13.6 million. However, this is only the first of four claims Palmer has made against the government and three other claims totalling $120 billion are still on foot unless he withdraws them.

August 7, 2026: The Swiss Federal Supreme court has rejected Australian billionaire Clive Palmer’s last ditch attempt to annul an international tribunal decision that found he was not a foreign investor and could not claim $300 billion over a disputed Western Australian iron ore mining license which he lost in the High Court. The Swiss court decision confirms that he must pay the Australian government’s international tribunal legal costs of $13.6 million. But this is only the first of four claims Palmer has made against the government and three other claims totalling $120 billion are still on foot unless he withdraws them.

August 4, 2026: A new Public Citizen analysis finds that pathogen-sharing agreements signed by the Trump administration with African states would weaken a central principle of the emerging global pandemic response framework; that countries contributing vital virus samples and information should share in the benefits.

July 28, 2026: Latrobe University Professor Deborah Gleeson explained in an interview with ABC TV news show The World what is behind the US Trump administration and Pharma companies’ attacks on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and why the government should resist them.

See the full interview here.

July 24, 2026: The Office of the US Trade Representative announced that the US will implement a 10-12.5% tariffs on 60 countries, including Australia, from today after a hurried investigation found that they had not taken effective action to reduce forced labour in their supply chains, creating unfair competition with US products. These tariffs will replace temporary tariffs due to expire on July 24.

July 23, 2026: US President Trump has announced on social media, but not as an official US trade policy, that the US would impose 100-200% tariffs on generic medicines from July 2028, unless generic producers relocate their production to the US. Generic medicines become available at much lower prices after the 20-year patent monopolies on new medicines have expired. They were exempted from Trump’s previous tariffs on more expensive patented medicines. 

22 July 2026: The Civil Society Coalition for Economic Justice (Koalisi MKE) has called for the rejection of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Indonesia and the United States, warning that the deal undermines Indonesia’s economic sovereignty and weakens the government’s ability to protect national interests.

July 17, 2026: AFTINET convener Dr Patricia Ranald explains in a Guardian interview how the US government and pharmaceutical companies are pressuring Australia and other countries to raise wholesale medicine prices. This would undermine the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which provides medicines at affordable prices. Modernising the scheme should not undermine its basic purpose and structure.