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Posted by David Sexton
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28 July, 2026
AUSTRALIA and Singapore have signed a new protocol on economic resilience and essential supplies under the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
The protocol is expected to strengthen cooperation not only on trade but also energy security and critical supply chains.
Singapore is Australia's largest fuel supplier, providing 55% of Australia's petrol, 15% of its diesel and 23% of its aviation fuel.
The protocol also establishes the Australia-Singapore Economic Resilience Dialogue, creating a mechanism to advance practical cooperation on shared challenges.
The Agreement was signed at the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC) hosted in Adelaide today by deputy PM Richard Marles, foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and trade minister Don Farrell.
Senator Farrell said Singapore was “one of Australia's closest trade and investment partners”.
“The signing of this protocol is an important step to ensure Australia has what it needs to keep moving in the face of global supply chain disruptions,” Senator Farrell said.
“The protocol builds on the success of our free trade agreement and reinforces both countries' support for open, free and fair trade.”
Senator Wong said Australia and Singapore had built “one of the region's closest and most trusted partnerships, underpinned by practical cooperation across trade, defence, energy security and economic resilience”.
“At a time of increasing global uncertainty, the Protocol will help ensure Australia and Singapore can respond together to disruptions and maintain access to the supplies our economies depend on,” she said.
Recognising 30 years of close ties, the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC) was first established in 1996 by then Prime Ministers Keating and Goh Chok Tong.
This latest agreement is said to build upon the enhanced Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation announced in October 2025, by strengthening cooperation between our defence industries and improving the resilience of our supply chains.
