Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt has announced a successful first half of 2023 in expanding Australia’s agriculture sector to new markets, enhancing and sustaining current markets, and regaining access if it had been lost.
Minister Watt noted the Australian Government’s commitment to safeguarding and growing the country’s agricultural trade market.
“Across Australia one in four jobs relies on access to international markets is essential for the profitability of Australia’s export-focussed agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors,” Minister Watt said.
The Minister stated that India remains a profitable trade market for Australian agriculture.
“The recent Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) has seen improved conditions and new market access opened to enable trade of Australian Hass avocados and Indian okra fruit between the countries,” he said.
“Under the AI-ECTA, we have also successfully removed tariffs on Australian sheep meat, rock lobster, wool, most woods and pulps, and hides and skins,” he continued.
Minister Watt stated that market access for Australian products is improving in various nations worldwide.
According to the Minister, the newly executed UK-FTA is already benefiting Australian farmers.
“The first shipment of raw sugar was loaded in Townsville and sent to the United Kingdom last month, with the new market worth more than $74 million to the sugar industry alone,” Minister Watt reported.
“We have also had success with Thailand opening market access for Australian avocados from Western Australia and for Thai cooked duck meat,” he added.
He said recent encouraging developments include the resumption of timber commerce and the removal of tariffs on Australian barley exports to China.
“We have also improved access for dairy to Chile through the removal of periodic in-country audits, and new access for seafood to Israel,” he stated.
“Last year we recorded 107 technical market access achievements worth a potential $5.47 billion and 2023 is continuing to advance these successes,” he added.
