Vol. 1 (2026)

Cases and Insights

Coercion Without Concession: Australia’s Response to China’s Trade Coercion, 2020–2024

Published 2026-05-25

  • Jonathan Walberg

Jonathan Walberg
University of Virginia (United States)

Journal of Geoeconomics Cover

Abstract

In April 2020, Australia’s public call for an independent investigation into COVID-19’s origins prompted Beijing to launch its most comprehensive campaign of economic coercion against a developed economy in recent years. Through a mix of formal trade remedies and informal import restrictions, China targeted key Australian exports—barley, wine, coal, seafood, timber—while avoiding iron ore. Drawing on WTO filings, trade statistics, and official statements, this case study reconstructs the sequence, logic, and outcomes of the coercion, highlighting sectoral economic damage, political resilience, and implications for allied strategies against state-led trade coercion.

JEL Classification: F13, F51, F52, Q17, O24

Keywords

economic coercion, trade restrictions, export diversification, geoeconomics, WTO dispute settlement, COVID-19 inquiry, China, Australia

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Author Biography

Jonathan Walberg

Jonathan Walberg is a Ph.D. student in international relations and psychology at the University of Virginia.

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