Supporting Australia's Exporters

Supporting Australia's Exporters—2019 submission

Australia’s exports are too small and too concentrated. We are well under the OECD average for export intensity. What we do export comes from a small number of businesses selling a small number of commodities, and those sales are disproportionately to one market. Too few Australian SMEs export. This needs to change.

The Australian Government must put growing Australia’s international trade at the heart of its business agenda. This should involve coordinating all the levers at its disposal—policy, service delivery and regulation—and ensure all are directed towards the same objectives.

It is vital that trade is viewed through the prism of the entire business journey: from giving businesses confidence to think internationally, to helping them have the capabilities to act internationally, to helping them find the right buyers in overseas markets, to ensuring that when they make a sale they face as few barriers as possible.

The ECA recommends the the Australian Government:

1. set a policy of diversifying Australia’s trade (the destinations, industries and the businesses) and develop an overarching strategy to achieve this diversification

2. give the trade minister a clear mandate to coordinate and oversee trade-related activities across government

3. adequately resource trade-related agencies and the Export Market Development Grant

4. conduct a major review of export regulation to re-evaluate what is regulated, why it is regulated and how it regulated.

Supporting Australia's Exporters—2019 submission

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Ed Serrano
Managing Director,
VEKTA Advanced Automation
Member of the ECA

"In 2014 Vekta Automation became involved in the Export Awards and started to get a better understanding about the role of the Export Council of Australia. After attending a seminar in Perth in February 2019 the decision was instantly made and we signed up the next day. A decision we should have made 5 years earlier. For Vekta, the information, expertise and networking opportunities that the ECA provides has been valuable. It is reassuring knowing that there are experienced and knowledgeable people we can turn to when advice is needed."

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Established in 1970, Mavlab Animal Health Pty Ltd is a Queensland based, family-owned, GMP licenced manufacturer of veterinary pharmaceuticals and pet care products. Mavlab has an extensive range of prescription and over the counter products sold in a growing number of global markets. Contract manufacturing opportunities are also available.