February 25, 2021 News & Events

ECA Featured member – ALTIOS

ECA Featured member - ALTIOS

ALTIOS is a Global Business Development Firm focused on helping businesses grow through international development strategy, international expansion, subsidiary management, recruitment and cross-border investments into the worlds’ leading markets.

Established in Australia in 1991, ALTIOS has consolidated a large amount of expertise across a variety of industry sectors and has assisted foreign companies grow and expand their businesses overseas.

ALTIOS has been serving more than 8,000 international clients – high growth businesses, global companies, investment funds, government organizations and professional associations – entering new dynamic markets, establishing a presence, and expanding their business activities.
ALTIOS offers practical, personalized and efficient services, at every step of global expansion, providing end-to-end solutions and worldwide support without using different providers. ALTIOS’ 430 employees include marketplace experts, specialists in various industrial sectors and staff with legal, financial and HR expertise.
ALTIOS joined the ECA in 2013 and just renewed their membership for another year. They are looking forward to participating to ECA’s events and webinars and continuing to engage with the ECA community to help their members expand overseas.
In 2020, they opened three new offices, in Malaysia, Vietnam and New Zealand to build new relationships and support SMEs to midcap companies to expand and set up in this part of the world.
They also created a new branding deployment within the group.
From an international perspective, they have developed expertise and ability to advise and connect with ALTIOS experts all around the world according to the prospect’s needs despite the crisis
They have also developed new strong relationships and partnership with banks, institutions, professional associations and regional agencies such as Auckland Unlimited, ANZ, Credit Agricole, Singapore Enterprise, Austrade, the French Chamber of Commerce, Business France, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, …as well as participated in tradeshows (mainly in New Zealand, China and Singapore), conferences and webinars (with speakers from ALTIOS’ group)
Also in 2020, they have developed several contacts and projects within the mining, F&B, food technology, agricultural and premium consumer good environment.
ALTIOS are looking forward to their merge with M+V, which has a strong footprint in India with 5 offices and 200+ employees and they are also merging with an accounting firm in Spain and will be able to provide stronger support to their clients.
The company is developing its Corporate Finance Division to help with external growth and acquisition in 2021.
In an international context directly impacted by Covid-19, business leaders can no longer travel abroad and wonder about the resilience of their activities outside their home market. ALTIOS helped remove that uncertainty surrounding the resilience of their client’s activities outside of their home market thanks to their new Global Remote offer which includes: Rebound Strategy, Business Market Audit, International HR Solutions and Subsidiary/M&A diagnosis.
ALTIOS have a powerful global and well positioned network of 28 offices in the most attractive markets: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, United Arab Emirates, India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia.
February 25, 2021 News & Events

Promoting Australian higher education to the world

Promoting Australian higher education to the world

The Morrison Government is promoting Australia’s world-class higher education and online learning offering to more than 12 million people around the globe.
‘Study with Australia’ is a five-year project to showcase Australian education to new and existing learners worldwide.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said ‘Study with Australia’ would give Australian education providers another avenue to promote their innovative online products via the learning platform FutureLearn.com.

“When COVID-19 impacted higher education, Australian providers were quick to develop innovative ways to continue teaching their students,” Mr Tehan said.

“During a pilot offering free online short courses at 20 Australian education institutions, ‘Study with Australia’ clocked up more than 836,000 enrolments across 52 courses in just three months.
“The global online e-learning market is forecast to grow from $US101 billion to more than $US370 billion by 2026, which is a huge opportunity for Australian universities and education providers to reach a global audience and provide jobs and growth here in Australia.”
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the project will provide international students worldwide with access to short courses through Australian education institutions.

“Building on the award-winning ‘Study with Australia’ pilot, this new agreement enables Australian providers to offer online short courses and microcredentials to millions via the global reach of the FutureLearn platform.”

“Of course, we want international students back in Australia, but while international travel is limited, this initiative ensures students can stay connected to Australia and our world-leading education providers at a time when they need it most,” Mr Tudge said.
FutureLearn Chief Content and Partnerships Officer Justin Cooke said: “We are delighted to enter into the next chapter of the highly successful ‘Study with Australia’ campaign.
“Together with Austrade and our 20 world-leading Australian partners, we’ve enabled more than 450,000 people from almost every country around the globe to gain new vital skills through over 50 different courses in high-demand areas such as digital, technology, law and healthcare,” Mr Cooke said. “We now look forward to continuing to showcase the best of Australia’s education offering as we build on our shared mission to transform access to education.”
The initiative was awarded the 2020 Excellence Award for Innovation in International Education by the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA).

‘Study with Australia’ is a joint initiative of Austrade and FutureLearn.

February 16, 2021 News & Events

Opinion: How setting a net-zero target will put us ahead

Opinion: How setting a net-zero target will put us ahead

Although I’ve never been a big fan of setting targets, I must admit that when it comes to improving female representation in politics and to setting a net-zero emissions target, the benefits are clear.

In the case of women, the road to political success is paved with female casualties and waiting for a cultural change to happen organically is unrealistic. In the case of climate change, the road to net zero is paved with uncertainty, and waiting for the market to take us there without legislating a target is unwise.
The Coalition is on the right track. Setting a net-zero target would exert substantial influence on five important areas: trade, soft power, neutralising the ‘left’ , economic growth and jobs.
Trade policies are likely to become more aligned with tackling climate change and the lack of a legislated target could become a handicap for Australia’s trade and international relations, limiting our scope to do deals and in the worst-case scenario, exposing us to sanctions or tariffs. These are some signals that Australia cannot ignore:
  • Europe is likely to impose a carbon border, putting a carbon price on imported goods as an extension of the EU’s carbon price policy as a necessary step to ensure a level playing field between EU industries and foreign competitors.
  • The UK is showing interest in joining the ACCTS (Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability) which plans to cut barriers to trade in environmental goods and services, phase out fossil fuel subsidies and encourage the promotion and application of voluntary eco-labelling programs and mechanisms, supporting reform of trade rules prioritising the environment.
  • President Biden also supports “carbon adjustment fees against countries that are failing to meet their climate and environmental obligations at the US border”.
  • As for China, although it disagrees with environmental protectionism, it seems to be getting ready for its trade implications. For example, it has already set up a carbon pricing framework establishing a system of pollution permits for those power generators who over pollute.

We’ve got the power

We don’t expect Australia to be dancing to other nations’ tunes, but we need to syncronise our climate policies with those of our allies, keeping up with the pace and rhythm expected from a developed economy of our calibre.

Setting a target would enhance Australia’s soft power, allowing us to join like-minded nations that have committed to a net-zero and that are crucial to Australia’s trade and regional prosperity like Japan, South Korea, the Pacific Islands, the US and most European countries.

Our government is committed to playing its vital role in decarbonising and supporting the Pacific, improving energy security, supporting climate action to prevent sea level rise, and to help ensure their military protection. Setting a target will invigorate our global standing in the Pacific region.

Rage against the machine

If our conservative governments do not deal with climate challenges, we run the risk of the young generations resorting to more extreme solutions.

While interviewing former EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, on Sunday at our Coalition for Conservation event on climate resilience, she said: “For those in favour of capitalism, we must show that we can handle this crisis, or we might be faced with the young generations calling for more radical reform like a total change of system”.

This is by far one of the most serious predicaments our conservative governments are facing if we don’t show we are concerned and prove we are taking steps towards net-zero goals.

More ‘Men at Work’

The most elementary examination of Australia’s employment data makes one very clear conclusion: fossil fuel-reliant jobs are few and at-risk, while jobs in renewables are growing at a higher rate.

The ABS data reveals that between 2017 to 2018, employment in renewables grew by 27 per cent to 26,850 jobs. The most recent Clean Energy Council report has found that the sector could potentially employ 44,000 Australians by 2025, with the majority of these jobs in regional areas.

The EY Report ‘Australian Renewable Export COVID-19 Recovery Package’ released in 2020 estimated that every $1 million spent on renewable energy and exports creates 4.8 full-time jobs in renewable infrastructure or 4.95 jobs in energy efficiency. By comparison, $1 million on fossil fuel projects has been found to create 1.7 full-time jobs.

A target would assist in speeding the various pipeline projects that can place Australia in the pole position.

A net-zero target would provide the necessary signal to the market to begin those job transitions, avoiding the mass structural unemployment that would arise otherwise.

One thing leads to another

Setting a target would signal that we are serious about walking the talk to reach our Paris Agreement commitments, bringing a desirable level of certainty, conveying a semblance of confidence to corporates and investors and cementing our space as leaders in technologies and renewables internationally, rather than camouflaging our potential behind a lack of policy.

A target would assist in speeding the various pipeline projects that can place Australia in the pole position, bring the returns to superannuation firms free from exposure to stranded assets and position Australia as a clean energy exporter.

Nationals threaten to flex muscles over 2050 net zero pledge

How soon is now

For those who feel that setting a target could either be a bake-off without ingredients or a promise we cannot fulfil, I would argue that Australia is one of the most reliable countries to achieve this goal. At federal level, the Coalition government with Minister Angus Taylor has set the pathway to achieve emissions reduction through the Technology Roadmap, and our states have set ambitious targets accompanied by sensible policies supporting clean technologies.

Australia’s renewable energy capacity is growing at a per capita rate 10 times faster than the world average, and nearly three times faster than the next fastest country, Germany. Between 2017 and 2020, more than $30 billion was invested in renewables, one of the highest per capita investments worldwide.

Progress can only come with change and we should set up a target now. If there’s no reasonable cause not to do it, let’s support our Prime Minister, so it’s done while it is still a choice, not an ultimatum.

Cristina Talacko is chair of the Coalition for Conservation and a Director of the Export Council of Australia.
February 16, 2021 News & Events

Supply chain and regulation

Supply chain and regulation

Even as the world struggles with the health issues from the pandemic, those relying on the supply chain are facing a variety of problems, which collectively are creating additional delays, cost and uncertainty. None of these factors will assist with economic recovery, or the distribution of vaccines and other medical products being used to deal with the pandemic. Further, the economic benefits of a reduction in tariffs through Free Trade Agreements and other trade facilitation measures are being eroded by problems and costs in the supply chain.

The focus of the United States Federal Maritime Commission

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in the United States (US) has been busy dealing with challenges to those using sea cargo including:
The issue of a Guide on Detention and Demurrage Practices in April 2020 based on legislative provisions giving the FMC jurisdiction under the US Shipping Act to monitor “just and reasonable” practices in handling property by those in the shipping industry.
A renewed focus on container availability levels for US agricultural exporters as some ocean carriers have indicated that they would not re-deploy empty containers to the interior agricultural areas. The FMC has expressed concerns that these practices may be in breach of the US legislation.
The launch of an inquiry into the use of the term “merchant” in Vessel Operating Common Carriers Bills of Lading seeking to extend liability for charges to third parties (such as freight forwarders) who have no beneficial interest in the goods being carried.
A coalition of road freight providers, shippers, and customs brokers have requested the FMC to consider an immediate suspension of detention and demurrage charges at major ports until congestion at those ports has been reduced. Some of those same parties are also proposing changes to the US Shipping Act on the basis that it is no longer fit for purpose in the current environment and the FMC and government should be given increased regulatory powers.

Other international issues

The issues before the FMC are symptomatic of other international issues around cargo. The Indian government has produced a draft Merchant Shipping Bill which includes a requirement that any charges for the provision of shipping must be “all in” precluding the ability of carriers to impose additional surcharges. The World Health Organisation has complained of “outrageous” air freight rates to fly dry ice and other medical equipment.
In other examples, carriers have continued to leave import containers stranded at north European ports and charge exporters more than $5000 to ship a container to Asia.
Several carriers have been diverting vessels from the United Kingdom (UK) due to congestion issues and unloading import containers at ports in Europe with delays in getting the goods to the UK as they try to get the empty containers back to Asia.
That may be made worse by a “no deal” Brexit. In the European Commission (EC), industry associations representing shippers and freight forwarders, facing lack of capacity, increased rates and surcharges have approached the EC to intervene.

The Australian context

The situation in Australia reflects many of the same issues being experienced elsewhere in the world, including significant ongoing congestion and delays at Port Botany. Some carriers out of China responded by refusing to take bookings to Sydney while other others who continued to service Sydney began adding additional congestion charges as well as changing routes, unloading containers in Melbourne and moving containers by road to Sydney. While the congestion issues around access to Port Botany may be reducing, there is evidence similar congestion and delays are arising into the Port of Melbourne.
There are also other issues which have focused the attention of those in industry in Australia. First is the issue of empty container parks which have become “full container parks” limiting the ability of freight forwarders to de-hire containers, requiring those freight forwarders to store the containers at their own premises (without charge, no doubt) for an indefinite period and also reducing the numbers of “empties” available in the supply chain.
Second, there have been concerns expressed regarding the increased land-side “access to infrastructure” charges being levied by stevedores and the fact that these can be increased regularly and without reviews.
Third, there is a real concern that the Port of Melbourne and Port Botany will be unable to berth the ultra-large container-carrying vessels with their current facilities and they may not have additional areas of land to expand their facilities and to recover the costs of doing so.
The interaction between the need for infrastructure at and around the ports, the limited availability of land for that infrastructure, the cost of that infrastructure and the recovery of that cost together with a profit for the investment is difficult to navigate, especially when the ports and infrastructure are owned by the private sector.
There are several initiatives now being considered by governments and the private sector but all of the resolutions tread a fine line between the need for investment balanced against the lack of competition in the sector and the ability to recover that investment.

Industry representations

After extensive representations by industry, led by work by the International Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of Australia (IFCBAA) (previously the CBFCA), the Victorian government initiated an independent review of the Victorian ports system. The review recommended the adoption of the voluntary performance model at the Port of Melbourne to review the performance of the port and those operating infrastructure around the port. The Victorian government has subsequently commenced another associated review, this time of the wider ports system.

The ACCC

While the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) publishes an annual Container Stevedore Monitoring Report that is only a record of the performance of the stevedores and the ACCC has no power over the operators for these issues. The most recent report shows an increased reliance on “access charges” for revenue and profits. Subsequently, in a speech delivered in October 2020, the ACCC chair expressed concern there was “no or little regulation of monopoly privately owned ports” where the “unfettered market power” of some ports “is costing our nation dearly”, a situation that also applies to airports.
The chairman reported that in his view there was the need for a new “Part IIIB” monopoly regulation regime that would see owners of significant market power subject to some form of price regulation” as “properly priced infrastructure is vital to our economy”.

Industry discussion paper

The Australian Industry Group issued a discussion paper in November 2020 regarding port and shipping policy which addresses many of the Australian issues described above. This includes issues of infrastructure, competition in port pricing, reliance and security of the supply chain and industrial relations reform.
The discussion paper includes a series of proposals for consideration by the government including reference to the ACCC proposal (above), the imposition of a Community Service Obligation by governments to ensure that port infrastructure operates to public benefit and the potential adoption of our own version of the FMC.

A meeting of transport ministers

The 14th meeting of national and state infrastructure and transport ministers was held on 20 November 2020 and reached agreement on a number of significant issues associated with the supply chain including “fast-tracking” of infrastructure to support economic recovery, making roads safer, improving efficiency in the supply chain and adoption of a national approach to stevedore infrastructure charges.
The current proposal is to develop voluntary national guidelines for applying stevedore infrastructure and access charges. The aim is to provide “greater certainty and transparency for both stevedore and landside transport operators and support continued investment in terminal facilities”. That work is to include reference to the Victorian voluntary performance model described above.
Guidelines for the national and state review will be issued in 2021 for comment.

A time for action

The maritime supply chain is vital to the international economy, especially as the world attempts to manage and recover from the global pandemic. Australia is particularly exposed as 98% of our trade goes through our ports and many jobs rely on the movement of goods in a timely and affordable manner.
It appears that the current model may not be working optimally and as a result, there does need to be change. Many of the affected industry associations such as IFCBAA continue to focus on these issues which state and federal governments now recognise as shown by the introduction of the voluntary program for review of stevedore infrastructure charges. Hopefully, the program will set out reasonable expectations which could lead to future regulatory and legal changes if those expectations are not achieved.
In my view, given the importance of the maritime supply chain, that warrants the early creation of a stand-alone and independent agency such as the FMC with similar jurisdiction and powers. In this case, the importance of the maritime supply chain warrants new regulation.
February 16, 2021 News & Events

Businesses encouraged to apply for projects under NSW Government’s $100 million Regional Job Creation Fund

Businesses encouraged to apply for projects under NSW Government’s $100 million Regional Job Creation Fund

Businesses looking to establish, expand or relocate operations to regional NSW are encouraged to apply for projects under the NSW Government’s new Regional Job Creation Fund.

 

The $100 million program will provide businesses in engine, enabling or emerging engine industries with the money they need to fast track expansion plans, create new opportunities and jobs, and attract new customers.

The Regional Job Creation Fund will provide co-funding for projects that create and retain at least five regional jobs, including those that:
  • replace, upgrade or adapt existing plant or equipment, including technology or energy efficiency upgrades
  • enable existing regional NSW businesses to establish an additional production line
  • relocate a business from interstate or internationally to regional NSW, or onshore an activity currently being undertaken overseas to regional NSW
  • develop new tourism experiences and attractions to create new demand in a region.
The $100 million Regional Job Creation Fund will aim to create at least 5,000 new direct jobs across regional NSW in the next three years.
Setting businesses up for success means they can attract new customers, putting more people in work and earning a wage that they will spend in local shops, which supports local retail workers as well as their suppliers.
Businesses already operating regionally that want to expand, as well as interstate and overseas businesses considering relocating or establishing operations in regional NSW, are encouraged to apply.
Applications are open now and will close on Friday 14 May 2021 or when program funding is fully allocated.
Find out more about eligibility criteria and program guidelines here
February 16, 2021 News & Events

Looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful social impact? Work with us to assist women and Indigenous entrepreneurs to trade

Looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful social impact? Work with us to assist women and Indigenous entrepreneurs to trade

The ECA, in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has programs that are building the capacity and network of women and Indigenous entrepreneurs from Australia and developing countries to engage in international business.
The programs are helping build livelihoods, lift communities and address environmental challenges. The entrepreneurs and businesses are involved in a range of industries including textiles and fashion, handicrafts, agriculture, food and beverage, IT services (such as website and app development), manufacturing, and sustainable packaging.
We need your time and talent. We would welcome your participation in the programs as industry expert presenters during training seminars, as potential mentors, and/or business partners or buyers.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Angela on angelawright@export.org.au
Please register your interest here
February 16, 2021 News & Events

Hear from our partners: Aglive

Hear from our partners: Aglive

Australian farmers, retailers, producers, logistic workers and all individuals along the entire supply chain of a business have been doing it tough. From droughts, fires, COVID-19, trade tensions, supply chain closures and price pressures, there have been countless challenges. But Australians remain resilient in the face of adversity.

It is during these times that industries across the world are forced to innovate to solve some of the world’s most complex problems. Australian farmers and brands are now turning to innovative paddock to plate solutions, in order to prove the authenticity and provenance of their products across the entire supply chain.

“2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for Australians but in dire circumstances like these, people are forced to be more nimble, more efficient, and more innovative. Australians are leading a technology and supply-chain revolution: in 2021 we are seeing greater transparency and greater trust in both our imports, our exports and the food and products we consume and share,” said Paul Ryan, Managing Director of Aglive.
Agricultural technology innovators like Aglive have been helping farmers through some of the most difficult times by introducing innovative technology solutions that enable users to simply scan a QR code and save time on paperwork and logbooks. Farmers can track livestock from birth to plate via a world-first app, and upload any relevant data from ethical certificates,nutrient density, recipes and the stories behind their production techniques.
The most important way to make our supply chains more transparent is to ensure that data becomes available to all stakeholders along the supply chain, from compliance regulators to families in a shopping mall. Consumers can view in real time the trail of their purchase, and even provide live feedback after consumption.
The world’s producers are in the midst of a fight to solve the $50 billion global food fraud problem that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to PwC, every second kilogram of beef sold in China under the banner of Australian beef could be fraudulent. Supply chain provenance allows us to see proof of where our food comes from.
Mark Toohey, Aglive’s Managing Director, believes it took a global pandemic to learn that the lack of transparency along the supply chain is a national security issue. Now, it is farmers who are leading a supply-chain revolution.
“Governments have been slow to act, and are expecting farmers to seek new trade routes in the face of political tensions. That’s why we’re collaborating with the Australian agricultural industry’s biggest leaders, like Ceres Tag, Two Hands and Macka’s Beef, to lead technology-led initiatives in the Asia-Pacific and beyond to provide vital solutions to food traceability issues,” said Mark Toohey, Managing Director of Aglive.
February 2, 2021 News & Events

ECA Featured Member: Smart Mango

ECA Featured Member: Smart Mango

In this context of globalisation and fierce competition, consumers are exposed to so many choices from all over the world. The best exporters want to better understand their target market and apply specific marketing in order to succeed overseas.

“Having a good product with a decent budget and being able to speak English does not suffice to sell globally.”, says Doris Dunnon, the founder of Smart Mango.

Smart Mango, who has been with the ECA since 2016, specialises in Export Marketing and works with exporters to and from Australia. Their consultants help businesses through their export journey, from prospective marketing and market entry strategy to cultural adaptation, ‘re-branding’ and international promotion. Their expertise help reduce the typical risk, time and cost of growing overseas.

Smart mango was founded in 2013 in Sydney, Australia with the mission to change the typical approach to export. Doris Dunon, the founder had identified an unmet need, to apply marketing to export.

They have now grown into a specialised agency working on niche sectors of construction, manufacturing, IT, environment and education. Their clients come from all over the world, including Australia, France, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, The Netherlands or Canada.
Q: What have been your Greatest achievement/s in 2019?
A: We are always really proud when we work with businesses on a specific project that gets transformed into helping them on their whole export journey, from the research phase of identifying opportunities to the successful market entry and continuous applied marketing. We started to work on their Australian export project two years ago with a market analysis, we then created a differentiating entry strategy. The company has now entered the market, we worked on the establishment of an Australian entity, recruitment, etc and are still working with them being in charge of 100% of their Australian marketing. We are taking them to Australian’s biggest trade show in their industry in 2020.
Q: What’s been big for 2020?
A: 2020 will be big in the construction industry. We are working on some exciting construction projects. We have signed some powerful partnerships some complementary businesses, event organisers in the UK and the US and have slowly but surely build a reputation as an export marketing specialist for building materials and services. We will be showcasing next month at the Sydney Build Expo.
Q: What have been the most notable exporter challenges/ how have they been overcome.
A: Biggest exporter challenge is that we target markets (Western Europe, North America or UAE) which are not on the export priority list of Australians authorities so there’s less support available in terms of information of trade missions.
Niching down has helped a lot and building our own network is key.
Q: Can you mention a few New Export Markets?
A: Markets with a strong offering in building materials and services such as Dubai, Canada, Germany, the UK.

To find more about Smart Mango, visit their website: http://www.smartmango.com.au

February 2, 2021 News & Events

The UK has confirmed over the past weekend, they will formally be applying to join trans-Pacific trade bloc

The UK has confirmed over the past weekend, they will formally be applying to join trans-Pacific trade bloc

The UK has taken a major step in the process of joining CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), one of the world’s largest and most dynamic free trade areas.

International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, alongside the current chair of the CPTPP Commission, Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Márquez, opened discussions between senior UK trade officials and Chief Negotiators from all 11 members of the Partnership to discuss potential UK accession.

This is the first time the UK has met with Chief Negotiators from all 11 members of the Partnership to discuss UK accession, and the first time CPTPP members have had such a discussion with a country seeking membership since the Partnership was created in 2018.
The UK held preparatory conversations with all CPTPP members. If the UK decides to apply, it will enter into a formal accession negotiation with all member states.
This meeting follows major progress in negotiations between the UK and Japan, the beginning of negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, and the resumption of negotiations with Canada, as the UK looks to focus on trade with the dynamic Asia-Pacific region. CPTPP membership also provides an opportunity to expand trade links with key partners in the Americas.
Liz Truss, International Trade Secretary, said:
“Joining CPTPP would send a powerful signal to the rest of the world that Britain is prepared to work with countries who champion free and fair trade.”
“Membership would bring new opportunities for our go-getting businesses, more choice for our consumers, and provide us with greater economic security. Strategically, it would help us forge closer ties with the wider Pacific region and put us in a stronger position to reshape global trading rules alongside countries who share our values.”
The UK aims to join CPTPP because membership will:
Help put the UK at the centre of a network of free trade deals with dynamic economies – making us a hub for international businesses trading with the rest of the world.

Put us in a stronger position to reshape global rules and drive reform at the WTO

Boost our economic security – hitching the UK to one of the world’s largest free trade areas. An advanced agreement full of countries who are committed to the rules of international trade.

Make us more resilient to future crises by diversifying our trade and supply chains.

The free trade area removes tariffs on 95% of goods traded between its members, which could reduce costs for businesses and create new economic opportunities for UK exporters. Since 2009 trade between the UK and CPTPP countries has grown on average by 6% every year and was worth over £112bn in 2019.
Wilson Del Socorro, Global Director of Government Affairs at Diageo, said:
“We welcome the UK’s ambition to join the CPTPP as part of its broader strategy to unlock international trade and investment opportunities for British business. We are excited by the growth opportunities that this trade deal will help unlock over the long-term where tackling import tariffs and improving the broader regulatory environment are key priorities for a number of markets.”
“Diageo already has significant presence and scale in many of the countries represented in this Agreement and we look forward to this Agreement creating stronger economic ties with the UK. For instance, in Mexico – a key export destination for Scotch whisky – we are the largest international spirits player directly employing over 1,200 people across a number of production sites and offices in the country. We are also market leaders in the fast-growing premium and super premium tequila category with our acquisition of Tequila Don Julio in 2015, Casamigos in 2017 and Pierde Almas 2018.”
Willian Santos, International Sales Manager at ABI Electronics, said:
“We thoroughly support the UK government’s initiative to join CPTPP. For nearly 40 years, ABI products have been supporting businesses across the region. From the textile industry in Peru and Aerospace in Malaysia to the toy manufacturer LEGO in Mexico and automotive conglomerates and Japan. In fact, it was from Malaysia that ABI’s first international order came from in 1986.”
“Becoming part of CPTPP will certainly encourage other British manufacturers to follow ABI’s footsteps leading to a transformational export journey.”

The partnership includes ambitious agreements on digital trade, data, financial, professional, and business services, all of which are areas where the UK is a global leader and stands to benefit from more trade.

This article was originally published by UK Government (20/09/2020)

February 2, 2021 News & Events

Exports showing steely resolve

Exports showing steely resolve

The December goods trade surplus of $9 billion was a significant increase, up $7.4 billion from the November surplus, according to newly released data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

“Imports have fallen following a November spike to be more in line with recent history”, said ABS Head of International Statistics, Katie Hutt, “while exports of metalliferous ores and cereals are the strongest in history, resulting in the fourth highest goods trade surplus on record”.
The strong surplus is heavily influenced by trade with China. Imports from China fell $641 million (7 per cent) in December, while exports to China increased $2.3 billion (21 per cent). Australia’s goods trade surplus with China alone stands at $5.2 billion for December.
Overall, a $4.9 billion (16 per cent) increase in exports was recorded for December 2020 bringing total exports to $34.9 billion. The main drivers were increases to metalliferous ores, cereals and coal. Metalliferous ores was up $2.8 billion (22 per cent), 82 per cent of which was iron ore, which was up $2.2 billion (21 per cent) to $12.5 billion.
The increase in cereals was driven by wheat, up $604 million (423 per cent) and barley, up $182 million (254 per cent). Strong growing conditions in Australia’s wheatbelt, and lower than average rainfall in the Black Sea growing region has driven demand for Australian wheat to record highs.
Driving the coal increase was hard coking coal, up $501 million (38 per cent). While hard coking coal exports to China have diminished since mid-2020, increased exports to India, Japan and South Korea have offset some of the fall.
Total imports decreased $2.5 billion (9 per cent), to $26 billion in December, following strong imports in November. This decrease was most evident in transport equipment, down $1 billion (74 per cent) and telecommunications and sound equipment, down $511 million (23 per cent).
Offsetting the decreases were specialised machinery, up $132 million (13 per cent) and road vehicles, up $66 million (2 per cent) to $3.7 billion.
“Carrying on the trend through the second half of this year, we continue to see a rise in road-vehicle imports with December recording the highest monthly value, surpassing the previous record set in June 2018” said Ms Hutt. Despite the record December, imports for the 2020 calendar year are the lowest since 2015, highlighting the pandemic’s impact on the imports of motor vehicles in early 2020.
The ABS would like to thank all those who contributed to this data.
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