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Tim Harcourt
Chief Economist
Australian Trade Commission
Sydney
Email: tim.harcourt@austrade.gov.au
14 July 2005
Boardies in Bordeaux? Can you believe it – C’est impossible, n’est pas? But it is true. Australian surf culture has a big following amongst young French people and brands like Quiksilver and Billabong are doing well all over Europe.
"It's a case of the three F's - Fish, Fashion and Funk," says Ulrich Hartig, Australia's Senior Trade Commissioner in Paris. "Australian businesses are doing very well in the seafood stakes, casual fashion and music and entertainment. We have clients ranging from Rock Lobster fishermen to Mushroom Records," he said.
Of course, France is well known for food. However, many food products – including seafood, olive oil, and gourmet condiments do come from Australia and we have a good reputation amongst French consumers. Perhaps the hit book by Mirielle Guiliano French women don’t get fat should be re-titled French women don’t get fat thanks to fresh Aussie produce or maybe even French women don’t get fat so they can wear Aussie cossies?
How have Australian exporters been successful in France? One reason is has been exhibitions and trade shows. Since the building of the Eiffel Tower in 1899, the French have been great exhibitionists (and long before that, as well). There have been a number of world-class trade shows in France, and in nearby Belgium, where Australian companies have succeeded.
In fact, the Eiffel Tower was built on the occasion of the International Exhibition of Paris (also commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution). Since then, the French a number of great events and exhibitions have been held in Paris. Despite being pipped at the post by their cross-channel rivals Britain for the 2012 Olympics, France hosted the Soccer (Football) World Cup in 1998 and the World Athletic Championships in 2003. France is also hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2007 and of course the Tour de France has gained legendary as a pre-eminent sporting event.
In any case, Australian exporters were going to do well whoever won the 2012 Olympics. Many Australian businesses that didn't export before the Sydney Olympics in 2000 picked up contracts for Athens in 2004 and Beijing for 2008. There’s also the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next year with Business Club Australia (BCA) playing an active role in matchmaking local exporters with foreign business visitors (building on the success of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the Rugby World Cup of 2003). Big events create great hubs of export activity and help with 'critical mass' of clients, distributors and potential join venture partners. Lots of this spontaneous business networking has lead to a number of significant export deals for both first time and experienced players in the games of international business. For example BCA has already facilitated over A$1.5 billion in business deals, and a further A$675 million investment is expected by the end of the financial year. The Rugby Business Club Australia program alone helped 183 Australian companies export during the Rugby World Cup 2003.
In fact, speaking of hubs, many Australian companies do use France as an export hub for French-speaking countries in Europe and North Africa (or at least where French is one of the main languages). According to research conducted by Austrade and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there were 1368 Australian companies exporting to France in 2003-04, with 753 to Belgium, 742 to Switzerland and 46 to Morocco.
According to Austrade Paris, Morocco is an emerging market. As Hartig puts it: "Morocco is rapidly opening up, as is much of francophone North Africa. Australian companies with expertise in infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, energy and services will find a booming market. Competitors from the EU and USA are already investing in these markets but national governments and private companies are interested in looking at alternatives from 'down under.'"
So in conclusion, on your next trip to Paris, watch for more board shorts and Aussie cossies in France, as well as the great monuments and romantic restaurants. And think about what might have happened if La Perouse had beaten Captain Cook to Botany Bay. We might have all been spreading vegemite on our croissants and tempting US audiences to 'throw another snail on the barbie'!
And to all our French business colleagues and friends, Happy Bastille Day!
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2003-04: Australia's Exports and Exporters
Data not available for Algeria, Tunisia and Luxembourg
Source: ABS | |