CANBERRA: 67 percent of Australian exporters say the outlook for their business has improved in 2016, following the completion of free trade agreements with China, Japan, and South Korea, according to a survey by the Australian Government. Publishing the International Business Survey 2016, Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said: “This report highlights that Australian businesses are responding to the preferential market access the Coalition has delivered in key export markets by ramping up their ambition to export. Increased exports are good news for all Australians because it means better economic growth and more job opportunities for Australians.”
According to the survey, 78 percent of exporters were planning business in additional overseas markets over the next two years. The top new target locations are China, the US, India, the UK, and Indonesia. Turning to the future, Ciobo explained that the Government “is pursuing an ambitious trade agenda to create more opportunities for Australian businesses to grow their exports, ultimately creating more Australian jobs.”
“We are building momentum for concluding a free trade agreement with Indonesia, working towards launching free trade agreement negotiations with the European Union, and will seek to open negotiations with the United Kingdom at the right time. We are also continuing to pursue trade agreements with India, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership countries, and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the Pacific Island countries through the PACER Plus agreement,” he said.
