John Cosgrave

Practice Areas

John's practice extends across a wide range of trade law issues including customs and excise duties, import/export controls and trade measures actions. His background in these matters includes holding a range of senior public services positions with responsibility for customs and excise matters, providing advice at ministerial levels within the Australian government, negotiating accession to a number of international trade regulation agreements and representing the Australian Government as Counsel before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in challenges to administrative rulings.

As Director of Trade Measures and Customs at MinterEllison John provides assistance and advice to clients confronted with legal and administrative issues involving the application of Customs, Excise and trade measures legislation as well as import/export control regulation. Issues dealt with in the customs and excise arenas cover the classification of goods and the identification of applicable duty rates as well as ensuring the client's compliance with complex regulatory and licensing requirements.

John is also a former Public Servant with extensive policy advising experience at senior executive levels. His career in government focussed on policy development, ministerial advising and legislative implementation in a range of portfolio areas including trade, industry assistance and customs. John was responsible for negotiating Australia's accession to GATT dumping and countervailing agreements and the preparation of the enabling legislation and he regularly represented the Australian government as Counsel before the Federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

After leaving Government service John established a national trade, business regulation and government relations consultancy providing advice and assistance to clients on issues related to Federal Government legislation, regulation and administration. Major activities included monitoring Government policy, preparing submissions, representing clients in government inquiries, lobbying, conducting challenges to administrative decisions and developing strategies to overcome or remove regulatory impediments.