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August 2005
EXPORT AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Launceston Export Hub Launched
The creation of regionally based Export Hubs located throughout Australia is a result of an Australian Government Initiative announced in 2004. The first Export Hub in Australia was officially launched in Launceston on 5 July 2005 by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile. The Launceston Export Hub is located in the Launceston office of the Department of Economic Development. The Export Hubs are designed to provide specialist industry development and exporting advice and services in regional Australia. The focus of the Export Hubs is to bring together the services of Austrade’s Tradestart program and the products and services of AusIndustry in one location. The Department of Economic Development, together with the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivers the Tradestart program in Tasmania.
For more information, see the website.
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AusIndustry's Leaha Dent, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, Department of Economic Development Export Adviser Martin Turmine at the launch
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Durapost products displayed at the Export Hub Launch
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Anver's Confectionary chocolates displayed at the Export Hub Launch
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Tasmanian Export Awards Applications
Applications are now being called for the Tasmanian Export Awards.
The categories for the 2005 awards are:
- Hobart Ports Corporation Agribusiness Award
- Austrade Arts and Entertainment Award
- Australia Post Education Award
- AusIndustry Emerging Exporter Award
- Telstra Country Wide Information and Communications Technology Award
- Atradius Large Manufacturer Award
- The Examiner Newspaper Regional Exporter of the Year Award
- WIN Television Services Award
- Aurora Energy Small to Medium Manufacturer Award
- Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tourism Award
- The Minister's Tasmanian Exporter of the Year Award
An additional individual award category has been introduced in 2005 – Tasmanian Award for Export Leadership.
The Department of Economic Development encourages all exporters to enter the awards. For more information on categories, eligibility, judging criteria and entry requirements, see the website or contact Ann Atkinson, Ann.Atkinson@development.tas.gov.au.
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Pacific 2006 Sydney
Tasmanian companies involved in the Maritime sector are invited to exhibit as part of a Tasmania grouping at International Maritime Exhibition Pacific 2006. Pacific 2006 is to be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, from January 31 until February 3 2006. The exhibition is regarded as the most significant event of its kind held in the Southern Hemisphere.
For further information on Pacific 2006 contact Mark Warrener, Mark.Warrener@development.tas.gov.au.
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Melbourne Gift Fair 2005
Eight Tasmanian companies recently participated in the Melbourne Gift Fair. The companies produced a wide range of products that were all of a very high quality. The five day fair, timed to coincide with the Christmas buying period, attracted over 40,000 buyers. All companies agreed that they could not have participated in the exhibition without the assistance of the Department of Economic Development.
The participating companies were elevenses, Creative Paper Tasmania, Beauty and the Bees Tasmania, Windwerks, Na Na Na Boogie, Deep Bay Ceramics, Tasmanian Copper and Metal Art Gallery, and Compact Designs.
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The Tasmanian Stand at Melbourne Gift Fair 2005
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Manfred Jokuszies, Compact Designs at the Melbourne Gift Fair 2005
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Melissa King, Beauty and the Bees Tasmania at the Melbourne Gift Fair 2005
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Fine Food Sydney 2005
Twelve Tasmanian companies will participate in Fine Food Sydney from 12-15 September. Over 700 exhibitors will be showcasing food, beverage and equipment at the event, for more information see the website.
For further information on the Tasmanian grouping and other events like this, contact Ann Atkinson, Ann.Atkinson@development.tas.gov.au.
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Retail Food and Beverage Mission to South East Asia
Export and Market Development is planning a retail food and beverage mission to travel to Malaysia and Singapore in September/October this year. The mission will involve participating in instore promotions, business matching and market site visits in order to increase consumer education and awareness for the products and gain valuable market intelligence.
For further information on the mission and other retail food and beverage opportunities, contact Kathryn McCann, Kathryn.McCann@development.tas.gov.au.
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Chinese Aquaculture Market Development Mission
Research from China, detailing opportunities for goods and service providers to the aquaculture sector, was recently distributed to key Tasmanian businesses.
A number of companies have expressed an interest in participating in a trade mission to mainland China and Taiwan during November 2005. The mission will provide participants with an insight into the marine farming systems and management in the market, technologies, trends and opportunities to develop valuable business contacts with buyers, traders and industry groups.
For further information contact Kim McShane, Kim.Mcshane@development.tas.gov.au.
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Maritime Market Development Mission to US
Tasmanian companies involved in the maritime sector are invited to participate in a mission to the United States to explore maritime sales opportunities and to further understand the market situation for Tasmanian manufactured products and services.
The proposed mission, timed for 27 November – 3 December 2005, will provide companies with a structured program of business matching facilitated by Austrade. It includes optional shipyard site visits to Austal USA, Halter Marine and Bollinger and a visit to International Workboat Show 2005 Expo in New Orleans for business matching with participating exhibitors.
For further information on the mission contact Mark Warrener, Mark.Warrener@development.tas.gov.au.
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Health Informatics Conference Melbourne
Export and Market Development assisted Tasmania eHealth companies to maximise their participation at Health Informatics Conference 2004 (HIC 2005) in Melbourne. Activities facilitated for companies included strategic planning meetings, attendance at an export seminar, a networking event with international buyers, one-on-one business meetings and exposure to export opportunities through interaction with a visiting UK eHealth Trade delegation.
For additional information contact Mark Warrener, Mark.Warrener@development.tas.gov.au.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Tasmanian Manufacturing Conference 2005
The Tasmanian Manufacturing Conference will be held in Hobart from 1-2 September 2005. The conference is an initiative of the Tasmanian Manufacturing Industry Council in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development. The theme of the conference is ‘Profit Through Process Innovation’.
For more information on the conference and how to register, see the website.
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Export Practices Workshop
Export and Market Development will facilitate an Export Practices Workshop in September in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Export. The workshop consists of presentations from an international lawyer, a freight forwarder, a marine insurer and banker. Individual sessions examine the principles of export documentation, international law, marine insurance and export banking and finance. The workshop is practical and is suitable for those involved in all parts of the export transaction.
For more information on the workshop and registration queries contact Martin Turmine, Martin.Turmine@development.tas.gov.au.
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Introduction to Export Seminars
Export and Market Development recently facilitated two Introduction to Export Workshops, held in Launceston and Hobart. Attendances at the workshops were strong, with participants finding the sessions valuable.
For further information on upcoming workshops and skills development sessions contact Martin Turmine, Martin.Turmine@development.tas.gov.au.
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Midmarket CEO Symposium Southern Region
Midmarket CEO Southern Region will be holding its annual conference in Hobart from 21-22 September. The theme of the conference is Outgrowing Your Environment and will involve presentations from Australian CEOs and business experts. Topics include taking your business global, Asia – opportunities and challenges, and knowing the right growth strategy for your business. Keynote speakers include Paul Keating, The Hon. Paul Lennon, Brett Godfrey (CEO Virgin Blue) and Dr Peter Farrell (Founder, Chairman and Global CEO, ResMed).
For more information on the conference and how to register, click here. (Adobe PDF)
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Sapporo Food Events 2005
Austrade are coordinating a series of events aimed at the food and beverage sector in Sapporo, Japan in September 2005. The activities coincide with Japan’s Winter period when Japanese produce is unavailable. The events cover a wide range of activities targeting various sectors within the target market.
For further information, click here. (Adobe PDF)
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Lactos Celebrates 50 Years
Lactos, Australia’s leading specialist cheese manufacturer, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Since 1955, the North-West Tasmanian company has been producing some of the finest quality specialty cheeses in Australia. The company has won numerous awards over the years for a variety of its products. Lactos has, in recent years, focussed on becoming a key player in the specialty cheese market in the Asian Pacific region.
For more information on Lactos, see its website.
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Tassie Fuji Apples Arrive in Tokyo
One hundred and thirty five tonnes of Tasmanian Fuji apples were recently exported to Japan. The arrival of the apples is a major achievement for the Tasmanian apple industry which has been working closely with Japanese quarantine officials to meet their requirements. The counter-seasonal advantage and Australia’s response to market requirements has been, and will continue to be a high priority for Tasmanian producers.
For more information, see the press release.
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Tasmanian Company Winning Contracts in Samoa
Tasmanian company Shaw Contracting will soon complete a $5 million construction project in Samoa. Shaw Contracting has been involved in the upgrade of the main road between Samoa’s capital Apia and Faleolo International Airport. Shaw Contracting supervisors and team leaders have worked in Samoa throughout the project, they have used locally hired machinery and a local workforce. Success from the current project has led to Shaw Contracting to being granted preferred status on one of only three registered tenders for future work in Samoa.
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Tasmania Crossing the Divide
Eight Tasmanian studio furniture makers recently sent product to America to be a part of a joint Tasmanian and American exhibition. The exhibition titled Convergence: Crossing the Divide, The Studio Furniture of Tasmania and America was recently featured in American Craft magazine. The exhibition has travelled from California to San Francisco and concludes the journey in Chicago at the end of October.
For more information on the article, click here.
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Japanese Media Releases
Recent and current Japanese media releases issued to the Department of Economic Development include:
- Australian Beef Exports to Japan Figures Revised Upwards
- Australian Beef - Price Expected to Stay High Until Autumn
- Nippon Paper Group to establish Plantation in Australia
- Cheese: Records for Imports of Natural Cheese
- US Beef Import Ban Continues but there is Move Towards Non-US Beef
- Restaurants Display “Country of Origin”
- Australian Made Flooring Products Imported by Intrinzic
Click the links below to view the releases: (Adobe PDFs)
Economic Development Media Release 5 August 2005
Economic Development Media Release 22 July 2005
Economic Development Media Release 15 July 2005
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BRIEF NEWS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
New Publications Feature Regional Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has released three new e-Publications which focus on Australia’s trade flows and trends with East Asia, the European Union and the Americas. The publications provide an analysis of growth, direction and composition of Australia’s merchandise and services trade with each region. For more information on the publications, see the website.
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Revaluation of the Chinese Yuan
On 21 July 2005, the Chinese Central Bank announced that it would be reforming the Yuan’s 11-year peg of 8.28 to the US dollar in favour of a managed floating exchange rate regime with reference to a basket of currencies. The Yuan was also re-valued to a rate of 8.11 to the US dollar, and will be allowed to fluctuate by up to 0.3 per cent each day based on changes to the basket. .
The revaluation is good news for Australian exporters who should receive a boost as Australia’s exports become relatively cheaper in China. However, Chinese exports may become more expensive in Australia, which will impact on manufacturers using components imported from China.
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Nigerian Email Scam
A recent spate of Nigerian scam emails has prompted alerts from Australian Government agencies to all exporters. It is extremely important to be very cautious of any unsolicited email. For more information on the recent Nigerian emails and other international email scams, see the website.
For the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade site on email scams, see this website.
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DFAT Australia-Japan Free Trade Agreement Submissions
DFAT is currently calling for submissions to assist with the feasibility study for the Australia-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The feasibility study will build upon the signing of the Trade and Economic Framework in 2003. The feasibility study aims to provide recommendations and DFAT is seeking input from all stakeholders with a commercial interest in Japan. Issues that need to be discussed include market access restrictions, regulatory arrangements affecting trade in goods or services, issues relating to investment, or problems with transparency.
For more information on how to submit, see the website.
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Australian Government Crack Down on Bribery
The Australian Government is committed to fighting corruption domestically, regionally and internationally. Corruption undermines fair competition. Under Australian law, individuals and companies who bribe foreign public officials, whether in Australia or overseas, will be prosecuted and face heavy penalties if found guilty.
For more information, see the website.
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Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate was formed recently. This partnership will focus on practial measures to increase local capacity, create new investment opportunities and encourage development and deployment of existing and emerging cleaner, more efficient technologies and practices.
For more information see the website.
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EMDG Applications Open
Applications for the 2004-2005 EMDG grants are now open.
For more information on the scheme and the application process, see the website.
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Travel advisories
DFAT travel advisories are the Australian Government’s advice service to its citizens regarding the perceived travel risks and precautions that individuals should exercise.
More information can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.
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Current export opportunities
Austrade receives many inquires about Australian products and services from its offices around the world. If you are interested in reviewing its active inquiry list, please visit the Austrade website.
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Australian Suppliers Database
For information on Australian suppliers across all industry sectors, the Austrade Suppliers Database provides a powerful search tool, to access the database click here.
If you have any Export and Market Development queries please email George.Chambers@development.tas.gov.au or call 03 6233 5792.
If you wish to subscribe to ExportActive please send an email to info@development.tas.gov.au with the words "ExportActive Newsletter Subscription" in the subject heading.
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Export and Market Development activities
