February 2013
Teaching Note
HBS Case Collection

Australia: Commodities and Competitiveness (TN)

By: Laura Alfaro, Richard H.K. Vietor and Hilary White

Format:Print
| Language:English
| Pages:11

Abstract

For the past few decades, Australia has dealt with the benefits and costs of repeated mining booms—inflation, a housing bubble, a current account deficit and growing dependence on China. Between 1996 and 2007, however, Australia had most of these issues under control and grew at impressive rates, becoming one of the richest of developed countries. Yet competitiveness in its non-mining sectors declined. Since the financial crisis, additional challenges associated with climate change, minerals taxes, migration and an overvalued currency have complicated the issues facing Julia Gillard and her Labor Party, with a very thin majority.

Keywords

Competitiveness; Inflation; Mining; Current Account; Exchange Rates; Trade; Capital Flows; Commodities; Environment; Carbon Tax; Goods and Commodities; Australia

Citation

Alfaro, Laura, Richard H.K. Vietor, and Hilary White. "Australia: Commodities and Competitiveness (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 713-063, February 2013.