The indicators are that Donald Trump’s second term as President will be as disruptive for international law and international relations as the first. Executive Orders were signed within hours of him becoming President withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement and World Health Organisation and renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Prior to taking office President Trump threatened the imposition of tariffs on America’s major trading partners, especially Canada and Mexico. He also asserted that the United States would seek to acquire Greenland through economic means and via military force if necessary. He has made similar threats with respect to the Panama Canal. The initial weeks of the Trump 2.0 Administration raise significant issues for international law and international relations throughout 2025 and the next four years and have implications for Australia and the future of the AUKUS partnership.

This seminar will address these issues with a particular focus on what the proposed US actions means for tariffs in the context of international trade law, the threatened acquisition of territory by economic or military means, and ultimately, for multilateral, regional and bilateral treaties as the foundation for the rules-based international order. Speakers will address each of these issues individually, and from the perspective of international relations.

If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please contact the event organiser.

Speakers

Professor Jolyon Ford SFHEA (ANU)
Associate Professor Imogen Saunders (ANU)
Professor Donald Rothwell FAAL (ANU)
Professor Peter Danchin (University of Maryland Carey School of Law, Baltimore USA)
Professor Kate Ogg (ANU) (Moderator)