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.

We went from recession to recovery at whiplash speed in 2020. And every time the Aussie dollar goes up or down, so do the profits and losses of businesses with foreign exchange (FX) exposure.

For Australian businesses, exporting to overseas markets presents an attractive opportunity for growth, and grants access to new and potentially bigger or more lucrative markets around the world.

ECA Member Down Under Enterprises has been with the ECA for over five years now.

"Our business is over 90 per cent export – so we felt like we needed to be connected with ECA and the resources which ECA makes available to members," said Phillip Prather, Head of Marketing and Operations at Down Under Enterprises.

So, fast forward to 2021 and the biggest change we have seen from a recruitment perspective is that employees want to continue to “Work At Home”. 

The NSW Government invites you to an Introduction to Exporting workshop in the Southern Highlands. This free interactive workshop is designed for businesses starting out on their export journey and those looking to consolidate knowledge.

The preparation of export documentation can be confusing, time consuming, costly and prone to human error, and yet correct export documentation is vital for any exporter to transact business in an efficient and cost-effective way. 

Regional Development Australia (RDA) Sydney in partnership with AusIndustry and Campbelltown City Council invites you to a focused exporting workshop in Campbelltown.

This workshop is designed for businesses starting out on their export journey and those looking to consolidate knowledge. 

Do you want to learn how to expand your business into new overseas markets? Register to attend an Export ready workshop.

The NSW Government invites you to an Introduction to Exporting workshop in Cessnock. This workshop aims to help new and existing exporters increase their knowledge of export, and understand export fundamentals.

The ECA is pleased to launch a series of webinars that will assist you to understand a range of international trade topics, including e-commerce for International Markets, Free Trade Agreements, making the most of the TPP11, understanding Incoterms, and Proof of Origin declaration. These webinars are aimed at providing a snapshot of the fundamentals of each of these topics, and are ideal as a starting point on your international business journey.

This edition of policy corner provides an update on the ECA members-only luncheon with Labor’s Shadow Minister for Trade, Jason Clare. It gives you advice to help you get ready for some big changes on the horizon: the TPP-11, a possible no-deal Brexit and changes to air cargo security requirements. Plus the launch of the government’s non-tariff barrier action plan and its proposed biosecurity levy.

The Export Council of Australia congratulates our member, Ms Dalene Wray, Managing Director of OBE Organic on winning the Chief Executive Women (CEW) Austrade Women in Export Scholarship in 2018. 

It’s been a great couple of months at the ECA since I started in March. I have been focused on listening to our valued partners and members, and I have already met many of you.

At the ECA we’re continuously working to help you succeed in international business. The policy team here aims to help lower the cost and complexity of you doing business internationally. We do this by pushing the Australian Government to reduce regulations, improve its services, and expand access to international markets. We’re also here to help you with any queries about government policy.

We have an exciting few months ahead as we look forward to the launch of two of the ECA’s flagship initiatives during the coming quarter, starting with the launch of our new Trade Barriers Register (TBR) next month and capping off with the results of our latest annual Australia’s International Business Survey (AIBS) over the winter. 

Budgeting strategically and building credit are just two critical steps for long-term financial success. Selling to clients in the same state, country, time zone and in the same language is hard enough. But exporting to foreign countries adds a whole new level of complexity to the mix such as currency fluctuation, shipping delays and non-payment. In fact, non-payment is one of the biggest fears for exporters. Fortunately (or unfortunately) you’re not alone. 80% of ultra-long overdue invoices that are greater than 120 days are uncollectable*.

The Australian Women's Leadership Symposiums are a national series of events focused on the experiences of women leaders in the contemporary workforce. Taking place in every state and territory capital between May and August, the Symposiums are an unparalleled gathering of the best and brightest female talent.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) play an increasingly important role in supporting global trade liberalisation.

Like many Australian companies, the road to export success was long and often bumpy for technology manufacturer Flavourtech. But after many years of persistence and strong commitment, the company is now tasting the fruits of its labour.

At the ECA we’re continuously working to help you succeed in international business. My job is to help lower the cost and complexity of you doing business by pushing the Australian Government to reduce regulations, improve its services, and expand access to international markets. It’s also to help you understand and work through any issues you might be having with government policies.

The year ahead is promising to be an exciting one for ECA research as we continue to highlight and promote international opportunities for Australian businesses.

Australia’s only IoT event dedicated to the future of manufacturing Industry 4.0, the 4th industrial revolution, smart manufacturing, digital factories…these are some of the phrases being used today to describe a series of game-changing innovations that are changing the way products are manufactured for ever.

In partnership with HSBC Australia, the ECA recently launched the ASEAN Connected report to highlight opportunities in the southeast Asian region for Australian businesses. The ECA and HSBC are now pleased to promote the ASEAN Connected Toolkit – a series of practical resources for accessing opportunities under the various free trade agreements between Australia and ASEAN countries:

The ECA has highlighted to the government that changes to the temporary skilled work visas (457 visas) that adversely affect businesses, have the potential to disproportionately affect exporters.