Devon Whittle
@devonwhittle.bsky.social
Previously DFAT, AGD OIL, and private practice. Now Global Shield. Posting on AI, trade, supply chain resilience, and more, from Australian perspective. Views only my own.
Highlights from the RCEP Joint Ministerial Statement: asean.org/joint-media-... relaunched website (it's pretty minimal, but still more than CPTPP! www.hinrichfoundation.com/research/art...), accessions underway, and General Review slowly moving forward with a 'Joint Scoping Paper' coming next year
September 23, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Highlights from the RCEP Joint Ministerial Statement: asean.org/joint-media-... relaunched website (it's pretty minimal, but still more than CPTPP! www.hinrichfoundation.com/research/art...), accessions underway, and General Review slowly moving forward with a 'Joint Scoping Paper' coming next year
Reposted by Devon Whittle
From @devonwhittle.bsky.social:
"The CPTPP needs a secretariat. Ministers should take Japan’s offer to host one."
"The CPTPP needs a secretariat. Ministers should take Japan’s offer to host one."
The CPTPP needs a secretariat. Japan wants to help. | Article | Hinrich Foundation
The CPTPP has outgrown its current institutional model. Japan’s reported offer to host a permanent secretariat gives members a chance to fix that.
www.hinrichfoundation.com
September 22, 2026 at 1:02 PM
From @devonwhittle.bsky.social:
"The CPTPP needs a secretariat. Ministers should take Japan’s offer to host one."
"The CPTPP needs a secretariat. Ministers should take Japan’s offer to host one."
For RCEP watchers - Ministers are meeting this week to discuss implementation and the general review. Philippines suggests the review could cover new provisions on "digital trade, sustainable development, inclusivity and emerging technologies such as AI" business.inquirer.net/611673/asean...
Asean to set AI cooperation rules
Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty
MANILA, Philippines — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is set to lay down common rules on how artificial intelligence (AI) should be used
business.inquirer.net
September 20, 2026 at 7:15 AM
For RCEP watchers - Ministers are meeting this week to discuss implementation and the general review. Philippines suggests the review could cover new provisions on "digital trade, sustainable development, inclusivity and emerging technologies such as AI" business.inquirer.net/611673/asean...
Not much reporting on this, but RCEP's Joint Committee met earlier this month in Manila "Members continued to discuss ways forward with respect to the proposals of five economies seeking accession to the Agreement." lnkd.in/p/g_UqvSmp
In the 14th RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) meeting held in Manila on 11–12 August 2026, RCEP Members continued to discuss ways forward with respect to the proposals of five economies seeking accession to…...
In the 14th RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) meeting held in Manila on 11–12 August 2026, RCEP Members continued to discuss ways forward with respect to the proposals of five economies seeking accession to ...
lnkd.in
August 26, 2026 at 4:34 AM
Not much reporting on this, but RCEP's Joint Committee met earlier this month in Manila "Members continued to discuss ways forward with respect to the proposals of five economies seeking accession to the Agreement." lnkd.in/p/g_UqvSmp
Trouble ahead for the Aus-EU FTA? www.news.com.au/world/europe...
August 26, 2026 at 2:36 AM
Trouble ahead for the Aus-EU FTA? www.news.com.au/world/europe...
Reposted by Devon Whittle
Out now | The 2026 Trade and Assistance Review shows that budgetary assistance to industry increasingly shifting towards measures targeted at particular industries and sectors.: www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/trad...
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Trade and Assistance Review 2024-25
The Trade and Assistance Review (TAR) contains the PC’s latest estimates of Australian Government assistance to industry, and provides a summary of developments in industry assistance, trade policy an...
www.pc.gov.au
August 20, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Out now | The 2026 Trade and Assistance Review shows that budgetary assistance to industry increasingly shifting towards measures targeted at particular industries and sectors.: www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/trad...
(1/4)
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Reposted by Devon Whittle
Physical AI is next – Australia can be the proving ground | Marina Yue Zhang
Physical AI is next – Australia can be the proving ground
The humanoid robotics race is a two-lane contest between China and America, and Australia doesn’t need to enter either lane to win.
www.lowyinstitute.org
August 19, 2026 at 4:09 AM
Physical AI is next – Australia can be the proving ground | Marina Yue Zhang
I post more about AI on X (x.com/devonwhittle...) but it also will be interesting to see how Australia navigates the trade implications of its AI policy (and vice versa) both current rules and whether new/amended rules are needed: GP as the govt seeks to create Aussie customers for AI firms, 1/3
August 18, 2026 at 1:58 AM
I post more about AI on X (x.com/devonwhittle...) but it also will be interesting to see how Australia navigates the trade implications of its AI policy (and vice versa) both current rules and whether new/amended rules are needed: GP as the govt seeks to create Aussie customers for AI firms, 1/3
Pretty cool interactive explainer on how AI companies can watermark text. Even has examples showing how the watermark can survive some editing.
August 17, 2026 at 8:13 AM
Pretty cool interactive explainer on how AI companies can watermark text. Even has examples showing how the watermark can survive some editing.
For those interested in the potential catastrophic risks from AI and what Australia could be doing about it, I was on the Alive to This video series recently discussing exactly that: www.alivetothis.com/episode-cata...
Chapter 7. Catastrophic Risk | Alive to This
Devon Whittle, Arnagretta Hunter and Greg Sadler on catastrophic and existential risk: how a technology this powerful could go wrong, and what it asks of us now.
www.alivetothis.com
August 14, 2026 at 6:54 AM
For those interested in the potential catastrophic risks from AI and what Australia could be doing about it, I was on the Alive to This video series recently discussing exactly that: www.alivetothis.com/episode-cata...
Great presentation by Jason Schultz at the recent Aus AI Safety Forum on AI and copyright in the US (and very relevant to current debates in Australia) - youtu.be/btAXkG7l7z8?...
AI on Trial: The US Copyright Fights - Jason Schultz | AI Safety Forum 2026
YouTube video by AI Safety Forum
youtu.be
August 8, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Great presentation by Jason Schultz at the recent Aus AI Safety Forum on AI and copyright in the US (and very relevant to current debates in Australia) - youtu.be/btAXkG7l7z8?...
New from e61: Taxing robots: the good news and risks about AI and government revenue - e61.in/taxing-robot...
Taxing robots: the good news and risks about AI and government revenue – e61 INSTITUTE
e61.in
August 6, 2026 at 11:46 PM
New from e61: Taxing robots: the good news and risks about AI and government revenue - e61.in/taxing-robot...
I love my UK colleagues, but this YouTube video gave me flashbacks to trying to understand CDOTs and the other very specific features of the UK’s constitutional arrangements in trade negotiations (and then translating this into treaty text!)
youtu.be/W5Y8JwEzuvA?...
youtu.be/W5Y8JwEzuvA?...
How The UK Works 🫠.
YouTube video by Jimmy Rees
youtu.be
August 3, 2026 at 9:17 AM
I love my UK colleagues, but this YouTube video gave me flashbacks to trying to understand CDOTs and the other very specific features of the UK’s constitutional arrangements in trade negotiations (and then translating this into treaty text!)
youtu.be/W5Y8JwEzuvA?...
youtu.be/W5Y8JwEzuvA?...
I smiled at this from
@slatestarcodex.bsky.social's latest link round-up. It sometimes seems there's a bunch of people who "like doing hard things", except when the hard thing is international cooperation?
@slatestarcodex.bsky.social's latest link round-up. It sometimes seems there's a bunch of people who "like doing hard things", except when the hard thing is international cooperation?
August 3, 2026 at 7:54 AM
I smiled at this from
@slatestarcodex.bsky.social's latest link round-up. It sometimes seems there's a bunch of people who "like doing hard things", except when the hard thing is international cooperation?
@slatestarcodex.bsky.social's latest link round-up. It sometimes seems there's a bunch of people who "like doing hard things", except when the hard thing is international cooperation?
My AI Safety Forum presentation on AI incident monitoring and reporting is now online. It's something that works for aviation, pharma, consumer goods, etc, why not for AI companies? www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoks... (my talk started 5 mins late, so apologies if it seems rushed!)
The Case for Mandatory AI Monitoring & Incident Reporting - Devon Whittle | AI Safety Forum 2026
YouTube video by AI Safety Forum
www.youtube.com
August 3, 2026 at 7:12 AM
My AI Safety Forum presentation on AI incident monitoring and reporting is now online. It's something that works for aviation, pharma, consumer goods, etc, why not for AI companies? www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoks... (my talk started 5 mins late, so apologies if it seems rushed!)
The text of Aus-Singapore's Protocol on Economic Resilience and Essential Supplies (PERES) is out (dfat.gov.au/sites/defaul...). Let's see how it compares to the NZ-Singapore AOTES (mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade...) (this is based on a quick review over breakfast, so mistakes possible / likely)... 1/11
July 28, 2026 at 10:57 PM
The text of Aus-Singapore's Protocol on Economic Resilience and Essential Supplies (PERES) is out (dfat.gov.au/sites/defaul...). Let's see how it compares to the NZ-Singapore AOTES (mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade...) (this is based on a quick review over breakfast, so mistakes possible / likely)... 1/11
Will this help with US s301 forced labour investigation tariffs? ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre...
July 16, 2026 at 1:27 AM
Will this help with US s301 forced labour investigation tariffs? ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre...
Reposted by Devon Whittle
US relaxes export controls on advanced chips and drones for UAE ft.trib.al/YoysSKw
US relaxes export controls on advanced chips and drones for UAE
Gulf state will receive access to sophisticated American technology
ft.trib.al
July 10, 2026 at 10:08 PM
US relaxes export controls on advanced chips and drones for UAE ft.trib.al/YoysSKw
Reposted by Devon Whittle
I suppose there's no chance Australia would file a complaint under the AUSFTA?
Ron Swanson's Disappointment Sigh
ALT: Ron Swanson's Disappointment Sigh
static.klipy.com
July 10, 2026 at 11:42 AM
I suppose there's no chance Australia would file a complaint under the AUSFTA?
Thanks to @simonlester.com post on governments' comments to the US's consultations on its 301 force labour investigations ielp.worldtradelaw.net/2026/07/gove... - here's the comments that Australia submitted - comments.ustr.gov/s/commentdet... 1/2
Governments Make Their Case Against Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs
Last month, USTR made a determination in its Section 301 investigation into "Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure To Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition o...
ielp.worldtradelaw.net
July 10, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Thanks to @simonlester.com post on governments' comments to the US's consultations on its 301 force labour investigations ielp.worldtradelaw.net/2026/07/gove... - here's the comments that Australia submitted - comments.ustr.gov/s/commentdet... 1/2
I wrote a summary of the new Bill that would require Australia to advocate for certain issues in trade negotiations, prohibit certain outcomes, and create new transparency requirements (subject to a narrow scope...) open.substack.com/pub/tradenot...
July 9, 2026 at 8:49 AM
I wrote a summary of the new Bill that would require Australia to advocate for certain issues in trade negotiations, prohibit certain outcomes, and create new transparency requirements (subject to a narrow scope...) open.substack.com/pub/tradenot...
As always, @matt_levine's take on the OpenAI 5% offer to the USG is the best take. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
July 3, 2026 at 4:39 AM
As always, @matt_levine's take on the OpenAI 5% offer to the USG is the best take. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
Not much too surprising in DFAT's Trade 2040 Taskforce Report, but the AI section is trying to walk some fine lines between regulation and investment positioning. Also IPEF is still a thing in the Report at least. www.dfat.gov.au/publications...
www.dfat.gov.au
July 3, 2026 at 4:20 AM
Not much too surprising in DFAT's Trade 2040 Taskforce Report, but the AI section is trying to walk some fine lines between regulation and investment positioning. Also IPEF is still a thing in the Report at least. www.dfat.gov.au/publications...
Australia's Trade and Investment Agreements (Consultation) Bill 2026 will reform negotiation of FTAs/BITs. Some interesting design choices, eg scope, it prohibits signing agreements that have ISDS (among other things), and requires independent analysis of agreements.
www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/tr...
www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/tr...
July 3, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Australia's Trade and Investment Agreements (Consultation) Bill 2026 will reform negotiation of FTAs/BITs. Some interesting design choices, eg scope, it prohibits signing agreements that have ISDS (among other things), and requires independent analysis of agreements.
www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/tr...
www.dfat.gov.au/news/news/tr...
CPTPP Ministerial Statement: working on Costa Rica's accession instrument, Uruguay's AWG advancing, discussions starting w/ UAE, Philippines and Indonesia, new working group on ROOs, custom admin and trade facilitation (with reference to circumvention).
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) joint ministerial statement on expansion, implementation and co-operation: 26 June 2026
www.gov.uk
June 26, 2026 at 11:55 AM
CPTPP Ministerial Statement: working on Costa Rica's accession instrument, Uruguay's AWG advancing, discussions starting w/ UAE, Philippines and Indonesia, new working group on ROOs, custom admin and trade facilitation (with reference to circumvention).
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...