Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #industrial-policy, aggregated by home.social.
Can China and the EU avert a trade war?
Add ThinkChina as a preferred source European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium,…
#Economy #business #chinathreat #EconomyofEU #EconomyoftheEU #EUeconomy #Europe #EuropeanUnion #france #germany #Hi-techmanufacturing #IndustrialPolicy #manufacturing #overcapacity #trade
https://www.europesays.com/3305415/
Can China and the EU avert a trade war?
Add ThinkChina as a preferred sourceEuropean Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 29…
#Europe #EU #business #Chinathreat #economy #EuropeanUnion #France #Germany #Hi-techmanufacturing #industrialpolicy #Manufacturing #Overcapacity #Trade
https://www.europesays.com/europe/157041/
https://www.europesays.com/3305415/ Can China and the EU avert a trade war? #business #ChinaThreat #Economy #EconomyOfEU #EconomyOfTheEU #EUEconomy #Europe #EuropeanUnion #france #germany #HiTechManufacturing #IndustrialPolicy #manufacturing #overcapacity #trade
US Energy Exports Pose Risks for Europe and Canada Says Prakash
American energy exports could become a source of political vulnerability for Europe, with implications for Canada’s efforts to…
#Europe #EU #AbishurPrakash #Canada #Diesel #DonaldTrump #energysecurity #industrialpolicy #oilandgas #TradeDiversification #UnitedStates #USenergyexports
https://www.europesays.com/europe/156258/
US Energy Exports Pose Risks for Europe and Canada Says Prakash
American energy exports could become a source of political vulnerability for Europe, with implications for Canada’s efforts to…
#NewsBeep #News #Canada #AbishurPrakash #CA #diesel #DonaldTrump #energysecurity #Europe #industrialpolicy #OilandGas #tradediversification #UnitedStates #USEnergyExports
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/927268/
US Energy Exports Pose Risks for Europe and Canada Says Prakash
American energy exports could become a source of political vulnerability for Europe, with implications for Canada’s efforts to…
#Canada #AbishurPrakash #diesel #donaldtrump #energysecurity #Europe #IndustrialPolicy #OilandGas #tradediversification #UnitedStates #USenergyexports
https://www.europesays.com/canada/244067/
US Energy Exports Pose Risks for Europe and Canada Says Prakash https://www.byteseu.com/2438908/ #AbishurPrakash #Canada #Diesel #DonaldTrump #EnergySecurity #Europe #IndustrialPolicy #OilAndGas #TradeDiversification #UnitedStates #USEnergyExports
Canada Needs Affordable Power and Practical Policies to Become an Electrostate
The prosperous economies of the future will be fuelled by electricity. EVs will replace gasoline cars. Heat pumps…
#Canada #Canadaelectricitystrategy #electricityprices #electrification #Electrostates #IndustrialPolicy #JanRosenow
https://www.europesays.com/canada/238471/
https://www.europesays.com/3292927/ Canada Needs Affordable Power and Practical Policies to Become an Electrostate #Canada #CanadaElectricityStrategy #ElectricityPrices #electrification #Electrostates #IndustrialPolicy #JanRosenow
🇪🇺 EU public money could increasingly be tied to European production.
At Renault’s Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia, Dacia Spring assembly has already moved from China to Europe. The site employs 2,100 people and is recruiting another 300.
The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act would link some public support to EU local-content requirements, including for EVs and batteries.
#EU #Slovenia #Renault #Dacia #Manufacturing #IndustrialPolicy #LeMonde
Building Canada’s electrification industry one building at a time
There is plenty to like. Waterloo’s RetrofitWR will use utility bills to collect repayments for deep retrofits. London’s…
#Canada #BuildingRetrofits #electrification #energyefficiency #HeatPumps #IndustrialPolicy #PembinaInstitute
https://www.europesays.com/canada/234811/
UK Opens Power Subsidy Scheme to Re-Industrialise Britain
Key Pointers: Inaugural Window Opens: The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) opened applications on October…
#EuropeSays #Britain #Europe #EU #bist #CleanPower2030 #Energypolicy #GridCompetitiveness #Industrialpolicy #Manufacturing #Ofgem #renewablesobligation #SubsidyControl #UKenergy
https://www.europesays.com/britain/136087/
https://www.europesays.com/britain/136087/ UK Opens Power Subsidy Scheme to Re-Industrialise Britain #bist #Britain #CleanPower2030 #EnergyPolicy #GridCompetitiveness #IndustrialPolicy #Manufacturing #Ofgem #RenewablesObligation #SubsidyControl #UKEnergy
Canada needs geothermal test centres to build an industry
The Cascade Institute’s Peter Massie says shared testing infrastructure could help Canadian companies prove their technology and supply…
#Canada #Alberta #britishcolumbia #CascadeInstitute #Drillingtechnology #Eavor #electricity #geothermalenergy #IndustrialPolicy #PeterMassie
https://www.europesays.com/canada/233187/
https://www.europesays.com/africa/449315/ To find their true leverage, African countries have to read the world #Africa #China #Geoeconomics #Geopolitics #GreenTransition #IndustrialPolicy #minerals
The Guardian view on Britain’s new chancellor: his purpose must be to protect living standards | Editorial
By Editorial
John Healey has offered a vision, but an energy shock will mean households and businesses need to be offered help in the budget
#JohnHealey #Labour #Labourconference2026 #Economicpolicy #Politics #Budget #Industrialpolicy #Taxandspending #Energybills #TheGuardian #Editorial
Healey offers upbeat vision but sheds little light on how it will be paid for
By Heather Stewart Economics editor
With next month’s budget a month away, chancellor gives little indication in conference speech of where money will come from to reindustrialise Britain
#Economicpolicy #JohnHealey #Labour #Labourconference2026 #Labourconference #Liverpool #UKnews #Industrialpolicy #Taxandspending #Budget #Economics #TheGuardian #HeatherStewartEconomicseditor
Healey offers upbeat vision but sheds little light on how it will be paid for https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/28/john-healey-chancellor-upbeat-vision-reindustrialise-britain #EconomicPolicy #JohnHealey #Labour #LabourConference2026 #LabourConference #Liverpool #UkNews #IndustrialPolicy #TaxAndSpending #Budget #Economics
Healey vows to stick to fiscal rules in budget built on hope https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/28/john-healey-fiscal-rules-budget-hope #EconomicPolicy #Economics #EconomicGrowthGdp #Politics #Business #UkNews #JohnHealey #IndustrialPolicy #HousingMarket #LabourConference2026 #Labour #HelptobuyScheme #Inflation #Budget2026 #PublicFinance #GovernmentBorrowing #TaxAndSpending #Bonds #Budget #LabourConference
Healey vows to stick to fiscal rules in budget built on hope
By Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent
Chancellor tells Labour conference it’s ‘not progressive’ to fail to balance books amid rising welfare bill as borrowing costs climb to record high
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/28/john-healey-fiscal-rules-budget-hope
#Economicpolicy #Economics #EconomicgrowthGDP #Politics #Business #UKnews #JohnHealey #Industrialpolicy #Housingmarket #Labourconference2026 #Labour #Helptobuyscheme #Inflation #Budget2026 #Publicfinance #Governmentborrowing #Taxandspending #Bonds #Budget #Labourconference #TheGuardian #RichardPartingtonSenioreconomicscorrespondent
Every region needs an industrial policy that outsells and outcompetes an all-of-economy AI/autonomous manufacturing plan.
#china #AI #autonomous #industrialpolicy #policy
“Pan Yunhe, the Chinese Academy of Engineering’s vice president and a respected A.I. researcher, organized a team to design a long-term strategy for the country, according to Gong Ke, a professor in Tianjin who leads an A.I. research institute under the academy.”
France says EU’s ‘Made in Europe’ law should not include the UK https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/24/france-says-eus-made-in-europe-law-should-not-include-the-uk #EuropeanUnion #IndustrialPolicy #Business #China #UkNews #Politics #Europe
France says EU’s ‘Made in Europe’ law should not include the UK
By Jennifer Rankin
‘If you’re not in the internal market, you don’t get the same protection,’ says French minister of policy designed to curb Chinese competition
#EuropeanUnion #Industrialpolicy #Business #China #UKnews #Politics #Europe #TheGuardian #JenniferRankin
UK defence contractors to offer 40,000 apprenticeships, placements and jobs
By Heather Stewart
Wes Streeting says he leads a ‘ministry for growth’ as Labour seeks to show more defence spending will create UK jobs
#Apprenticeships #Unemployment #Defencepolicy #Politics #Labour #WesStreeting #UKnews #Society #Business #Armstrade #BAESystems #RollsRoyce #Employability #Industrialpolicy #JohnHealey #Education #TheGuardian #HeatherStewart
UK defence contractors to offer 40,000 apprenticeships, placements and jobs https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/sep/23/uk-defence-contractors-40000-apprenticeships-work-placements-jobs-wes-streeting #Apprenticeships #Unemployment #DefencePolicy #Politics #Labour #WesStreeting #UkNews #Society #Business #ArmsTrade #BaeSystems #Rollsroyce #Employability #IndustrialPolicy #JohnHealey #Education
UK urged to strengthen financial muscle of national wealth fund to aid economy https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/21/uk-urged-to-strengthen-financial-muscle-of-national-wealth-fund-to-aid-economy #Economics #Infrastructure #TradeUnions #Thinktanks #Business #UkNews #Labour #Tuc #Charities #Greenpeace #Wwf #Environment #PublicFinance #IndustrialPolicy #EconomicGrowthGdp #GreenEconomy
UK urged to strengthen financial muscle of national wealth fund to aid economy
By Joanna Partridge
Unions, thinktanks and others say overhaul could provide investment Britain needs
#Economics #Infrastructure #Tradeunions #Thinktanks #Business #UKnews #Labour #TUC #Charities #Greenpeace #WWF #Environment #Publicfinance #Industrialpolicy #EconomicgrowthGDP #Greeneconomy #TheGuardian #JoannaPartridge
Korea Has a Contender in Every Manufacturing Event, Experts Say
Chang Young-jin, president of the Korea Trade Insurance Corp., speaks on “Survival Strategies for Korean Industry Amid a…
#EuropeSays #Korea #KR #Seoul #ASML #FutureConference2026 #industrialpolicy #K-sure #Koreanmanufacturing #materialspartsandequipment #U.S.-Chinaconflict
https://www.europesays.com/korea/157961/
Industrial Policy in Europe and Central Asia: Increased Use, Unclear Impact
1 By Dr. Ivailo Izvorski, Chief Economist Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank Group …
#Europe #EU #COVIDPandemic #EastAsiaandthePacific(EAP) #EuropeandCentralAsia(ECA) #finance #FundforInnovationsandTechnologyDevelopment(FITD) #industrialpolicy #IvailoIzvorski #LatinAmericaandtheCaribbean(LAC) #WorldBankGroup #WorldTradeOrganization(WTO)
https://www.europesays.com/europe/140274/
New analysis: The 'Made in Europe' industrial policy aims to bolster EU competitiveness — but it may also create friction with close partners like Switzerland and Norway. Our latest post examines economic, regulatory and diplomatic implications, and what stakeholders should consider. Read the full piece: https://wix.to/IkHghfb
#EU
#Norway
#Switzerland
#PolicyAnalysis
#TradeRelations
#IndustrialPolicy
#BusinessStrategy
Markets Tilted by Design
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 15, 2026
The Mechanism Being Examined
This essay examines state subsidies and market distortion—not as accidents, but as deliberate tools used to shape outcomes while maintaining the appearance of market competition.
Subsidies are not unusual. Every major economy uses them. What matters is how they are deployed, hidden, and coordinated, and whether competitors are allowed to operate on equal terms.
In China’s case, subsidies have functioned less as temporary support and more as structural advantage.
What Counts as a Subsidy
Subsidies do not always appear as direct cash payments.
They often take indirect forms:
Individually, these measures can be defended. Collectively, they reshape entire markets.
Why This Is Hard to Challenge
Many subsidy mechanisms operate outside traditional trade remedies.
They are:
This makes formal complaints slow and enforcement uncertain. By the time cases are resolved, competitors have often exited the market.
How Distortion Becomes Normalized
When subsidized firms operate globally, their pricing can appear competitive while remaining disconnected from true costs.
This leads to:
Markets adjust—not because the subsidized firms are more efficient, but because others cannot survive prolonged imbalance.
The Strategic Layer
Subsidies are not applied evenly.
They are concentrated in sectors deemed strategic:
This aligns industrial policy with geopolitical ambition while maintaining plausible deniability.
Who Pays the Price
The costs are distributed and delayed.
They fall on:
The subsidy does not disappear. It migrates into dependency.
Why This Matters for the Philippines
The Philippines participates in regional supply chains shaped by price signals.
When those signals are distorted:
Cheap inputs today can mean fragile supply tomorrow.
Understanding subsidy-driven distortion is essential for long-term planning.
Why This Fits the Series
Bad faith does not always violate rules outright. It often exploits gaps between rules and reality.
When markets are formally open but functionally tilted, participation becomes conditional and outcomes predictable.
This essay documents how that tilt is created.
What Comes Next
The next essay will examine standards, certification, and regulatory barriers—how technical compliance becomes another lever of control.
The record continues.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
European Commission. (2020). White paper on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market. European Union.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). Industrial subsidies: A global perspective. OECD.
World Trade Organization. (2022). World trade report: Subsidies and trade. WTO.
#china #globalTrade #industrialPolicy #marketDistortion #stateSubsidies #supplyChains #WPSNews
Government moves to nationalise Speciality Steel UK to protect 1,300 jobs
By Alex Daniel
Firm, once part of Sanjeev Gupta’s empire, fell into administration last year but has failed to find buyer
#Steelindustry #Manufacturingsector #Nationalisation #Industrialpolicy #Politics #Business #Rotherham #UKnews #TheGuardian #AlexDaniel
Government moves to nationalise Speciality Steel UK to protect 1,300 jobs https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/14/government-nationalise-speciality-steel-uk-jobs-ssuk #SteelIndustry #ManufacturingSector #Nationalisation #IndustrialPolicy #Politics #Business #Rotherham #UkNews
Andy Burnham to host entrepreneurs and local mayors at No 10 on Monday
By Julia Kollewe
Prime minister vows to ‘reindustrialise Britain’ through new partnership with business
#Economicpolicy #AndyBurnham #Business #EconomicgrowthGDP #Politics #Budget #Budget2026 #Economics #UKnews #Industrialpolicy #JohnHealey #Localgovernment #TheGuardian #JuliaKollewe
Andy Burnham to host entrepreneurs and local mayors at No 10 on Monday https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/13/andy-burnham-host-business-leaders-local-mayors-no-10 #EconomicPolicy #AndyBurnham #Business #EconomicGrowthGdp #Politics #Budget #Budget2026 #Economics #UkNews #IndustrialPolicy #JohnHealey #LocalGovernment
Pluralistic: Inefficiency is bad, actually (11 Sep 2026)
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://pluralistic.net/2026/09/11/mazzucato-thought/
Chrystia Freeland Warns America: Democracy Is on Life Support as Canada Moves On
Chrystia Freeland says U.S. democracy is on life support as Canada diversifies trade and Trump’s policies drive longtime democratic allies away.
#AmericanDemocracy #authoritarianism #Canada #CanadaTariffs #CanadaTradeWar #China #ChrystiaFreeland #CorporateMedia #democracyCrisis #democraticAllies #DemocraticBacksliding #democraticInstitutions #DonaldTrump #economicNationalism #europe #FreedomHouse #geopoliticalRealignment #globalization #industrialPolicy #internationalTrade #MainstreamMedia #MarkCarney #PoliticsDoneRight #ProgressivePolitics #TrumpTariffs #USCanadaRelations #unionJobs #UnitedStates #VDem #workingClass https://wp.me/p1OjMZ-pat
https://www.europesays.com/3239031/ How Switzerland turned China’s Europe problem into leverage #Economy #EconomyOfEU #EconomyOfEuropeanUnion #EconomyOfTheEU #EconomyOfTheEuropeanUnion #EUEconomy #Europe #EuropeanUnion #IndustrialPolicy #Politics #trade
Jonathan Reynolds is right, Jaguar Land Rover doesn’t warrant use of public money | Nils Pratley
By Nils Pratley
The 4,000 job cuts cannot be compared to a VW-like existential crisis and, as JLR presents them, are about staying competitive
#JaguarLandRover #Automotiveindustry #Business #Industrialpolicy #TheGuardian #NilsPratley
Europe’s €10 Trillion Will Not Wait
Europe has the savings and the industrial ambition. What it still lacks is the architecture connecting banks, public institutions and institutional capital to investable projects across technology, energy, agrifood, health and advanced manufacturing.
China’s demise was gleefully predicted by the west – meanwhile, it built an AI revolution | Larry Elliott https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/03/china-demise-predicted-west-ai-revolution #ChineseEconomy #AiArtificialIntelligence #Economics #AsiaPacific #Technology #WorldNews #IndustrialPolicy #ManufacturingSector #China
China’s demise was gleefully predicted by the west – meanwhile, it built an AI revolution | Larry Elliott
By Larry Elliott
Free AI models that are as good as the investment-hungry US versions will disrupt global markets, and offer Britain a lesson
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/03/china-demise-predicted-west-ai-revolution
#Chineseeconomy #AIartificialintelligence #Economics #AsiaPacific #Technology #Worldnews #Industrialpolicy #Manufacturingsector #China #TheGuardian #LarryElliott
Michiel Scheffer — Europe Must Build What It Invents
Michiel Scheffer wants Europe to do more than finance scientific discovery. His vision for the European Innovation Council connects research, patient capital, industrial demand and strategic procurement—turning breakthrough technologies into companies, production capacity and European power.https://altairmedia.eu/michiel-scheffer-europe-must-build-what-it-invents/
Private equity’s London takeover spree goes on – and the politicians ignore it https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2026/sep/01/bodycote-private-equity-london-takeover-spree-politicians-ignore #PrivateEquity #Ftse #Business #StockMarkets #EconomicPolicy #IndustrialPolicy #UkNews #Politics
Private equity’s London takeover spree goes on – and the politicians ignore it
By Nils Pratley
The latest swoop – for Bodycote, another FTSE 250 industrial firm – has barely raised barely an eyebrow in Westminster
#Privateequity #FTSE #Business #Stockmarkets #Economicpolicy #Industrialpolicy #UKnews #Politics #TheGuardian #NilsPratley
Russia says it could hit UK military targets over support for Ukraine – UK politics live
By Taz Ali
Kremlin threatens British targets inside and outside Ukraine and claims UK’s ‘hostile line’ risks escalating conflict
#Politics #Youngpeople #Workcareers #Employability #Education #Benefits #Educationpolicy #PatMcFadden #AndyBurnham #Tata #Steelindustry #Industrialpolicy #UKcostoflivingcrisis #Unemployment #Ukraine #Russia #Military #TheGuardian #TazAli
French Defence Exports Reach New Heights in 2025
France's arms exports reached 21.2 billion euros in 2025, driven by sales of Rafale jets to India and missiles, maintaining its position as the world's second-largest arms exporter despite competition from emerging countries.
The West chose paper. China chose production.
Economist Steve Keen lays it out:
• 40% lower US per capita income vs pre-neoliberal trends
• 60% of China's leaders are engineers—they build 50-year plans, not 4-year election cycles
• US infrastructure: C-minus. China: breaking bridge records in 2026
The 21st century won't be won by rhetoric. It'll be won by competence.
#Economy #China #Infrastructure #SteveKeen #WorldOrder #USA #Capitalism #IndustrialPolicy
Rights on Paper
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — August 18, 2026
The Problem Being Examined
Intellectual property protections do not fail only when laws are absent.
They also fail when enforcement is selective, delayed, or asymmetric.
This essay examines how intellectual property rights in China have often existed on paper, while enforcement in practice favored domestic firms, state priorities, or strategic outcomes.
The issue is not whether China has IP laws. It is how those laws are applied.
What the Law Says
China has built an extensive framework of intellectual property statutes, courts, and regulations.
On paper, these include:
In formal terms, these structures resemble those found in advanced economies.
That resemblance has often been used to argue that concerns over IP theft are outdated.
What Enforcement Looks Like in Practice
In practice, enforcement has frequently been uneven.
Foreign firms have reported:
By contrast, domestic firms—particularly those aligned with state priorities—have often faced fewer barriers and faster resolution.
Delay itself becomes a tool.
Why Asymmetry Matters
Intellectual property protection is not binary. It is not “present” or “absent.”
It functions through:
When enforcement is slow or uncertain, the value of IP collapses even if statutes exist. Knowledge diffuses. Competitive advantage erodes.
A right that cannot be enforced in time is not a right. It is a formality.
How This Supported Technology Transfer
Weak or selective enforcement reinforced earlier mechanisms of technology transfer.
Once proprietary knowledge entered joint ventures, supplier relationships, or regulatory processes, the cost of misappropriation was low and the risk manageable.
Litigation rarely restored lost advantage. At best, it arrived after the damage was done.
Who Paid the Cost
The costs were absorbed by:
These costs accumulated quietly, spread across industries and decades.
Why This Matters for the Philippines
The Philippines is expanding its role in:
IP enforcement asymmetry elsewhere offers a warning. Legal frameworks matter, but enforcement reality matters more.
Access without protection is not partnership. It is exposure.
Why This Fits the Pattern
Bad faith does not require the absence of law. It often operates through law applied unevenly.
When enforcement aligns with strategic goals rather than neutral standards, markets stop being markets.
They become instruments.
What Comes Next
The next essay will examine state subsidies and market distortion—how government backing reshapes competition while remaining formally within global trade rules.
The record continues.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. (2020). Intellectual property protection in China: Challenges and developments. EUCCC.
Office of the United States Trade Representative. (2022). Special 301 Report. USTR.
World Intellectual Property Organization. (2021). World intellectual property indicators. WIPO.
#china #Globalization #industrialPolicy #intellectualProperty #IPEnforcement #technologyTransfer #WPSNews
Bulgaria’s Rheinmetall-VMZ defence project faces review risk
Capital.bg reported that Bulgaria’s government intends to review the Rheinmetall-VMZ agreement, potentially delaying a EUR 1 billion joint-production defence project.
#EU #Bulgaria #Defence #Manufacturing #Investment #IndustrialPolicy
Carmakers ‘delaying investment in UK factories until EV sales rules relaxed’ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/30/carmakers-delaying-investment-in-uk-factories-until-ev-sales-rules-relaxed #AutomotiveIndustry #ElectricHybridAndLowemissionCars #IndustrialPolicy #ManufacturingSector #EuropeanUnion #Business #Politics #UkNews
Anthropic Says It’s Against A Ban On Open Weight Models. It Just Wants To Ban Everything That Makes Them Good.
@John
I agree that we should leave #fossilFuels in the ground.
But I’m a realist so that’s not going to happen anytime soon. In the meantime building an oil refinery will only makes sense:
1) if it is to becomes a nationalised (or govt majority owned) strategic asset;
2) if the world can’t stop more wars from being fought;
3) if the ADF keeps running on diesel, kerosene, and other fuels, (which it will for many decades to come) and, but not necessarily also;
4) if it is cheaper to refine crude in Australia than importing refined products from Singapore.
Everything else said about this topic is just #PoliticalFog , #HiddenAgenda and #ProfitMotivated or flawed analysis (happy to be convinced otherwise).
Those are the only valid reasons to build a new refinery in Australia. IMO those are sufficient grounds to build it. Private companies running the two remaining refineries in Australia are milking them for profits, exploiting workers and barely maintain the plants -- watch them closing down sometime in the future or else get bailed out by govt.
PS. Check your sources. I quickly turned to the internet to double check that only 2 oil refineries remained and saw one source which claimed a totalt of 81 refineries were operating in 5 States! Digging deeper, it’s actually fossil fuel related businesses, some with storage capacity.
#OilRefineries #AusPol #IndustrialPolicy #StrategicInfrastructure
The Price of Access
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — July 21, 2026
The Mechanism Being Examined
This essay examines a practice that shaped the modern Chinese economy more than any single trade deal: conditioning market access on technology transfer.
For decades, foreign firms seeking access to China’s market were required—formally or informally—to share intellectual property, technical processes, or operational know-how. This was not incidental. It was structural.
The result was one of the largest transfers of technology in modern history.
How the System Worked
Access to China’s domestic market was rarely unconditional.
Foreign companies were often required to:
In theory, these arrangements were voluntary. In practice, refusal often meant exclusion from the market.
The choice presented was simple: share technology or stay out.
Why This Was Not Normal Trade
In open-market systems, firms compete on innovation while retaining control over proprietary knowledge.
China’s approach inverted that logic. Technology was treated as an entry fee rather than a competitive asset. Market access became leverage.
This was not free exchange. It was conditional participation in a system where the state retained ultimate authority.
Legal Versus Practical Coercion
Defenders of the system argued that technology transfer was “negotiated,” not forced.
That distinction collapses under scrutiny.
When a state controls licensing, approvals, courts, and regulatory timelines, “negotiation” takes place under asymmetric power. Delays, denials, or regulatory pressure functioned as enforcement tools even when no explicit demand was written down.
Coercion does not require a signature to be effective.
What Was Transferred
Over time, foreign firms transferred:
Some transfers violated export controls. Others complied with the letter of the law while undermining its purpose.
Once transferred, the knowledge could not be reclaimed.
The Long-Term Consequences
The consequences unfolded gradually.
Chinese firms moved up the value chain.
Foreign competitors lost advantage.
Supply chains re-centered around China.
By the time governments began reassessing the risks, the dependency was already embedded.
What began as market access became strategic vulnerability.
Why This Matters for the Philippines
The Philippines continues to balance:
Understanding how technology transfer can be embedded into access terms is critical. Short-term gains can carry long-term costs if leverage is misread.
This is not an argument against investment. It is an argument for clear-eyed terms.
Why This Fits the Series
Bad faith is not always hidden in fine print. Sometimes it is embedded in system design.
When market access is conditioned on surrendering future competitiveness, the imbalance may not be visible at signing—but it becomes obvious over time.
This essay explains how that imbalance was normalized.
What Comes Next
The next essay will examine intellectual property enforcement asymmetry—what happens when rights exist on paper but fail in practice.
The record continues.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
Office of the United States Trade Representative. (2018). Findings of the investigation into China’s acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer. USTR.
Lighthizer, R. (2020). No trade is free without enforcement. Wall Street Journal.
European Chamber of Commerce in China. (2017). China manufacturing 2025: Putting industrial policy ahead of market forces. EUCCC.
#china #Globalization #industrialPolicy #intellectualProperty #jointVentures #technologyTransfer #WPSNews
London Underground users should know about toxic dust risk, whistleblower says https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/18/london-underground-passengers-should-know-about-toxic-dust-risks-whistleblower-says #LondonUnderground #London #IndustrialPolicy #Transport #Health #Asbestos #Waste #Environment #Society #UkNews
Austria launches “Team Austria” to help domestic companies win EU energy and infrastructure projects
Austria is bundling government and business support to help Austrian firms access major international energy and infrastructure projects, presented on 14 July and reported on 15 July.
#EU #Austria #Infrastructure #Energy #Exports #IndustrialPolicy
Hydrogen auction rules add supply-chain resilience
The European Commission published draft terms for the fourth European Hydrogen Bank auction, with a proposed EUR 500M budget and new resilience requirements for electrolyser supply chains.
#EU #EUwide #Hydrogen #IndustrialPolicy #Energy #SupplyChains
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/07/10/eu-publishes-draft-terms-of-4th-hydrogen-auction/
Bpifrance and EIB add EUR 550 million for renewables, defence and security
The EIB and Bpifrance signed two new financing operations totalling EUR 550 million to support French firms in renewable energy, security and defence.
EU-backed deep precision strike initiative links defence investment across multiple European economies
#EU #EUwide #Defence #IndustrialPolicy #Investment #Security
Here’s how Andy Burnham can finance a reindustrialised Britain – without doing a Liz Truss | Larry Elliott https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/10/how-andy-burnham-can-finance-a-reindustrialised-britain #AndyBurnham #LizTruss #EconomicPolicy #IndustrialPolicy #ManufacturingSector #KeirStarmer #Labour #TaxAndSpending #Politics #UkNews #Business