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NSW Export Award Event – ASEAN Focus – Special guest: Mr. Andrew Parker

Last Friday, the Export Council of Australia hosted a roundtable luncheon, featuring our special guest, NSW Government’s Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner for ASEAN – Mr. Andrew Parker who was visiting Sydney for the Australia-ASEAN Business Forum at the ICC Sydney.

The discussion centred around the growing significance of ASEAN markets for Australian exporters, highlighting both opportunities and challenges.

Mr. Parker emphasised that the ASEAN countries are key markets for Australian exporters, especially in sectors such as healthcare, education, technology, and food & beverage.

However, navigating these markets is not without its complexities, including understanding local regulations, cultural differences, and specific product requirements. These factors are crucial for success in these diverse and dynamic markets.

Exporters at the event also noted the strong demand for high and premium-quality Australian products in ASEAN countries. While the market potential is immense, they acknowledged the importance of understanding local preferences and societal norms to ensure successful market entry.

To navigate these complexities, Mr. Parker advised leveraging local expertise, finding reliable local partners, and thoroughly understanding the market landscape before expansion.

We would like to give a special thanks to:
Mr. Andrew Parker – Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner for ASEAN (Investment NSW)
Mr. Warwick Scherf – Director Export & Exports Programs (Investment NSW)

We very much appreciate the business representatives that joined, and invite your ongoing involvement in ECA activities:

Ayushi Dahiya, Eric LIU, Ferdy Bong, George Houssos, Jacqueline Hutton, Kath McCollim, Linda Stanojevic, Louie Coorey, Mike Foster, Ram Iyer, Samiul Karim, Chandra Sekhar M., Shelly Bengiat, Steve Solanki, Steven Hudson, Su Zhang, Tim Mitchell, Vincent Candrawinata, Dianne Tipping, My Nguyen

NSW Export Award Event – ASEAN Focus – Laos, Thailand, Vietnam

Being part of a supportive global trading community matters now more than ever.

As part of the NSW Premier’s Export Awards, the Export Council of Australia has been hosting a series of small-group luncheons. A key aim has been our desire to continue to celebrate exporter’s hard work and achievements.

We are so glad to learn that participants have enjoyed these luncheons. They told us that they especially valued the new connections made, which some leading immediately to commercial partnerships and exports to new markets.

With our principal partner, Investment NSW, last week at the Four Seasons hotel in Sydney, we held another such event, with special guests from the diplomatic missions of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Their presence reflected our theme this year on ASEAN.

They highlighted the opportunities for growth in two-way trade and investment with Australia, including in industries such as green energy and tech, food and beverage, healthcare, and education.

Our guest exporters shared extraordinary stories of their journeys, including:

• How a health treatment for their grandmother became a foundation for a growing international business
• That bringing Australian top-level education to the modest section of communities in partner countries can be profitable
• Even in an extremely competitive segment, a fintech start-up can grow market share quickly
• A reminder that playing the long game means resilience and a remarkable bounce-back from a severe demand downturn during Covid
• A well-recognised and established Australian brand can still be a new player on global markets.

These gatherings have reminded us of how important it is to engage regularly with peers – not just in the context of establishing new contacts, but in terms of meaningful interchange of views and ideas. Of sharing insights and giving back. It is about being part of a community. We enjoyed it so much, we intend to organise more.

We send our special thanks to:

• Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa – Trade Commissioner of Viet Nam to Australia
• Ms. Hataya KHUSAKUL – Consul General of Royal Thai Consulate-General
• Mr. Kanya Khammoungkhoun – Minister Counselor, Deputy Chief of mission of Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Ms. Tania Panagoda – Team leader for the ASEAN NSW government
• Mr. Michael Reznikov – State Director of Export Finance Australia (EFA)
• Mr. Ben Rose – Senior Corporate FX Specialist of Xe.com

We very much appreciate the business representatives that joined, and invite your ongoing involvement in ECA activities:

Vincent Candrawinata, Cindy Hurley Leister, Craig Shepherd, Christian Young, Cynthia Dearin GAICD, Leon Skaliotis, Jacqueline Hutton, Scott Nolan, Danko Tran (Danko CockatooAdventures), Christine VU, Allan Nguyen, Kala Philip (MAICD, GAICD), Steven Hudson, Ferdy Bong, Shelly Bengiat, Ayushi, Alison. L., Dianne Tipping, Arnold Jorge, My Nguyen.

NSW Export Award Event – Indigenous Exporters

Australian First Nations entrepreneurs are pursuing global markets with grit and ingenuity.

And with the right support can excel to new heights.

This was the conclusion at a roundtable discussion on the challenges and opportunities of exporting.

Supply Nation and Export Council of Australia were proud to have hosted this dialogue, which included Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses, and government agencies.

Notable issues raised included:

• Lack of resources and expertise within firms, including staff and finance, are constraining growth
• There are many government and private sector assistance programs, but awareness of them needs improvement, and gaps remain in required services
• There may be value in developing a common shopfront or a general store (brick-and-mortar and online) for Indigenous products
• Successful non-Indigenous exporters are willing to partner with Indigenous businesses to facilitate their international sales
• First Nations businesses should participate in export awards to build connections and profile
• Australia’s global brand should be underpinned by First Nations stories and further promoted
• Exporting is a means for Indigenous businesses to achieve sustained growth.

The discussion culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Supply Nation and Export Council of Australia.  It signals the commitment of both parties to assisting Indigenous businesses to succeed in global trade.

We thank all participants of the forum and look forward to your continued engagement and collaboration.

Charys Caldarella; Chris Rees FAICD; Connie Jarrett; Corey Grech; David Vu; Jenny Khan; Jeff Cottee; Julie Okely; Kate Russell; Krystal Doyle; Maryanne Jarrett; Monika Goyal; Nicoline van Cann; Nicole Steinweg; Shane Rizkallah; Trudy Hart; Arnold Jorge; Dianne Tipping; Stefanie Harter; Angela Wright; My Nguyen