The department enables international market access for agricultural, fisheries and forestry products. International trade supports food security and provides growth opportunities for Australian producers.
Australia exports approximately 70 per cent of agricultural, fisheries, and forestry production to over 160 markets. In September 2024, ABARES estimated the value of exports in 2023-24 were worth $75.8 billion.
Market access achievements are actions by the department to:
- open new markets
- improve access to existing markets
- maintain access to existing markets in the face of potential issues to trade, or
- restore access where it has been lost.
These achievements include a range of activities, such as:
- Negotiating technical (non-tariff) market access conditions with trading partners. Technical access includes requirements for biosecurity, food safety, sanitary or phytosanitary treatment, testing, labelling, and certification. Agreement on these conditions is usually required before trade can occur.
- Working with exporters and trading partners to prevent and resolve potential issues to trade.
Achievements in 2023-24
In 2023-24, the department recorded 88 market access achievements. This included 34 achievements to maintain or restore market access, which protected access to markets worth a potential $4.6 billion.
New
The department opened 10 new markets, including:>
- new import conditions for Western Australian Hass avocados to Thailand, and
- new access for Australian honey and edible apiculture products to Vietnam.
Improved
There were 44 outcomes that improved access to overseas markets, including:
- formalising and reducing regulatory burden for hides and skins exported to Brazil,
- simplifying the certification process for wine exported to Thailand, and
- streamlining access for processed animal proteins to the Republic of Korea.
Maintained
There were 29 achievements to maintain market access, including:
- Maintained access for canola to the European Union (EU). The department advocated for recognition of the Australian canola industry’s low-emissions credentials. Australia’s canola exports to the EU were worth $2.1 billion in 2023.
- Maintaining access for meat and meat products to Taiwan. The department assured Australia’s freedom status for three animal diseases. These were classical swine fever (CSF), peste des petit ruminants (PPR), and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This ensured Australian meat exporters can continue to access a market worth $419 million in 2023.
- Revised veterinary health certificate for queen bees exported to Canada. This ensured ongoing trade following the changed Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) status in Australia. Conditions for package bees were also updated to recognise resumption of state freedom from small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) in Tasmania. Australia exported $2.9 million live bees to Canada in 2023.
Restored
The department restored access to 5 markets where it was previously lost, including:
- Successfully negotiating the reinstatement of market access for sheep meat to Brazil. Brazil changed certification requirements in 2020. The department negotiated new certificate requirements, including a briefer attestation list based on Australia’s disease status.
- Restoration for cooked and preserved meat to the United Kingdom (UK) after trade ceased in May 2022. The department updated the Australian template health certificate to meet new requirements, allowing trade to recommence from 18 December 2023.
Further information
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