There are growing calls for Australia to tear up a United Nations agreement which makes shipping online goods from China cheaper than buying from local suppliers. But under the agreement, China, the world's second largest economy, is considered a developing nation and countries such as Australia are forced to pay as much as double. China is home to the world's largest e-commerce platform Alibaba and is expected to become the world largest economy in the 2030s. The 'perks and advantages' it receives as a developing nation have long been a point of opprobrium for Australia and its allies. The UN allows countries to 'self designate' whether they are a developing nation based on a per capita income threshold of $US12,055 ($16,900).

Source: Daily Mail July 04, 2020 02:45 UTC