Free trade?

When you hear arguments related to free trade, it's usually about protecting local laws / sovereignty (tobacco restrictions in Australia) or local jobs / labour. The truth is, only the insiders know what's truly being negotiated, and the negotiations take so long because each component is haggled and traded off.

As a consumer who has moved to Australia from the United States, what I see are many consumer goods that are not available in Australia, or that are available in a very limited range at extremely inflated prices. When the goods are made in China anyway, and the only difference is whether they're shipped to the US or shipped to Australia, then it's not about protecting jobs or laws, but purely about protecting the profit margins of a small cadre of business operators with connections to the inside track.

These business operators perpetuate the notion that things are more expensive in Australia because it's a small, remote market. I call bullshit. Shipping something from China to Australia instead of the US would not account for the absurd price difference - and Australian businesses have negotiated agreements to prevent outsiders from undercutting their profit margins. I'm a consumer who doesn't shop purely based on price - I prefer to support local business and will pay a slight premium to do so. But I have a great resistance to being fleeced by profiteers who have a lock-down on the market.

Example: Security camera from Jaycar in Australia $179
Security camera from Amazon $57 - current exchange rate = $81 CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO AUSTRALIA