a majority liberal government will:
- Back our export businesses to have the confidence to invest, employ and seek global markets, with a further investment of $6 million to:
- Deliver the final three years of Tasmania’s first Trade Strategy, deliver Annual Trade Action Plans, to ensure we are agile and nimble and can quickly respond to changing market conditions and emerging local or global issues. We will support out exporters to expand their reach into new markets and create more jobs locally.
- Develop and implement an integrated trade strategy to maximise trade opportunities for Tasmanian exporters including through the new Air New Zealand direct flights to Auckland. This is an exciting opportunity a Liberal Government will take advantage of to increase our export reach and support Tasmanian businesses to grow.
- Secure and expand the International Business Development Network until 2025, to assist Tasmanian exports to expand and diversify their global markets. Our exporters are global leaders, having international trade advocates in key markets results in new opportunities and partnerships.
The Tasmanians Liberals will continue to support our Tasmanian exporters to take their products to the world, as demand for our high-quality, premium products continues to grow across the globe.
It was a majority Liberal Government that developed and released Tasmania’s first whole-of-government Trade Strategy in 2019, alongside an action plan, to focus on assisting business and industry navigate the turbulent operating environment caused due to COVID-19 and how to transition their business models to a greater online presence.
Our Plan is working:
- International merchandise exports were 2.3 per cent higher in the 12-months to February 2021 than the previous year.
- Tasmanian exports have bucked the national trend which saw merchandise exports decline by 4.2%.
- Tasmania is recording the third highest export growth rate in Australia.
Through the Tasmanian Trade Strategy (2019-2025) we have set an ambitious target to grow the value of Tasmania’s trade to $15 billion by 2050.
Since then, merchandise exports have increased from $2.75 billion in June 2014 to $3.65 billion in Feb 2021, an increase of 33%.
To help continue the momentum and achieve our target, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will:
Deliver the final three years of Tasmania’s first Trade Strategy, deliver Annual Trade Action Plans, to ensure we are agile and nimble and can quickly respond to changing market conditions and emerging local or global issues
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will support out exporters to expand their reach into new markets and create more jobs locally.
An investment of $3.75 million over four years will be provided to undertake initiatives under the Tasmanian Trade Strategy and complementary Annual Trade Action Plans.
The Annual Action Plans ensure that Tasmanian exporters are responsive to the needs of industry and global trading environment at the time.
The Strategy sets out initiatives across four key priority areas:
- Build trade in key sectors
- Showcase Tasmania in priority markets
- Support trade logistics and market access
- Build the export capabilities of Tasmanian businesses
Develop and implement an integrated trade strategy to maximise trade opportunities for Tasmanian exporters including through the new Air New Zealand direct flights to Auckland
Given the commencement of direct flights to Auckland in April 2021, the Tasmanian Trade Strategy will now include, as a priority, the development of an integrated strategy to assist Tasmanian exporters to maximise opportunities to New Zealand, including perishable air-freight through the new direct flights.
This will not only result in exciting new opportunities in the New Zealand market for Tasmanian exporters, it will also open up access to other international trade routes using Auckland as a hub.
New Zealand has good international connections to key markets such as the Western seaboard of the USA, Eastern Asia and the South Pacific.
Secure and expand the International Business Development Network until 2025, to assist Tasmanian exports to expand and diversify their global markets
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $2.25 million for the continuation and expansion of overseas Business Development Managers to assist industry to capture opportunities in an increasingly complex global trading environment.
Business Development Managers, or Trade Advocates, will be instrumental in expanding and diversifying our export markets and mitigating our export risks.
Business Development Managers utilise their significant contacts and networks to identify new trade and investment opportunities for Tasmanian businesses. Key sectoral opportunities will be identified for each country to focus actions and maximise outcomes.
The first Business Development Manager has been appointed in the USA, with Singapore and Japan to be announced shortly, and an additional Business Development Manager to join in 2023.
Current work underway right now:
- 2021 Annual Trade Action Plan launched in 2021, containing 53 initiatives to build trade in key sectors, showcase Tasmanian goods and services in priority markets, support market access and logistics and build the export capacity of Tasmanian businesses.
- Initiatives already commenced include:
- Domestic food and beverage market engagement program including promotion, digital and in-market events and domestic inward buyer and influencer visits.
- Promote our renewable energy story internationally and work on a “Certified Tasmanian Renewable” brand program for products and services created with 100 per cent renewables.
- Launched a Trade with Tasmania website, in combination with the soon to be released Tasmanian showcase website, to promote Tasmania’s trade and sector capabilities globally.
- Ongoing financial support to Tasmanian exporters through the Accelerating Trade Grant Program.
- The Asian Market Engagement Plan is set to be launched in mid-2021 and has a focus on market expansion and opportunities for the international education, food and agribusiness, and forestry sectors.
- Development of the Freight Logistics Toolkit which was launched on-line in March 2021.
- Facilitation of digital trade opportunities for Tasmanian businesses including for example through Alt-Foodex in collaboration with Austrade, Buy Something Tasmanian website, Saladplate, and the Tasmanian Trade Directory.
- Launched a Tasmanian branded store on Amazon Australia which is enabling Tasmanian businesses to showcase and sell their premium products across Australia.
Our record in Government:
- Delivered the first ever whole-of-government Tasmanian Trade Strategy 2019-2025.
- First Trade Strategy Annual Action Plan released July 2019 with 96 percent of the initiatives undertaken, with remaining 4% incomplete due to COVID-19.
- Interim Trade Action Plan (ITAP) launched July 2020 to provide immediate trade initiatives with 100% actions completed or ongoing through the 2021 Trade Action Plan.
- Inaugural Trade Advocate to the United States to boost trade with our second largest trading partner
Costings:
This policy costs $6m over 4 years.