Austrade media release

24 Oct 2006

Gold Coast businesses wanting to succeed in the growing Thai and Malaysian markets will have an unprecedented opportunity to gain first-hand information from a leading trade expert at FREE seminar on Wednesday, 25 October (details below).

Austrade’s Bangkok-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Sean Riley and Kuala Lumpur-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Peter Kane, will provide fresh insight to local exporters on market trends, sectoral opportunities and effective business strategies.

Mr Riley will also discuss new opportunities resulting from the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). TAFTA has seen the elimination of more than half of Thailand’s tariffs, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of Australian exports and 98 per cent of tariffs in two-way trade will be phased out by 2010.

Companies previously locked out of the Thai market by high tariffs and quotas can now take advantage of significant tariff reductions in key sectors simply by selling Australian made products or services.

Opportunities are available in: building and construction; consumer retail; food and beverage; lifestyle and wellbeing; education and services; infrastructure, ICT, mining and resources.

Local company, Zychem Technologies, a small business with just four staff members, is transforming Asia's love for seafood through its unique product that preserves food and is safe to eat. The product, ZyDox, is making waves in seafood-mad Asia because water and ice safety is a real issue.

Zychem's Managing Director, Lionel Freedman, recommends local businesses to consider exporting. "The golden rule to exporting is to establish a need for your product and find a distributor that has the necessary enthusiasm, credentials and integrity. I wouldn’t have taken this step if Austrade hadn't told us, 'you've got to go to the trade fair'. Exporting is life changing."

The company has linked up with a distributor in Thailand and is working with them to reach other regions in Asia. Mr Freedman is so confident of the growth potential that he is setting up an Asian hub in Thailand.

"Bangkok is, in my view, the best place to hub from in Asia. It's safe, easy to get to, the people are fabulous, and it's very economical. The recent Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement is also a prime reason for my decision. An FTA brings with it a special relationship between governments that works in your favour."

Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioners, Sean Riley and Peter Kane, and Managing Director of Zychem Technologies, Lionel Freedman, are available for interviews.

The media is invited to attend.

EVENT: World of Opportunities – Close to Queensland
COST: FREE
SPEAKERS: Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioners, Sean Riley & Peter Kane
DATE: 2.45pm to 4.30pm, Wednesday, October 25
VENUE: Riviera Restaurant ‘R’, 50 Waterway Drive, Coomera

For more information or to register call 13 28 78.

This seminar is sponsored by Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC), and supported by DFAT and the Queensland Government.

ENDS

Media contact

Purnima Ganapathy
Tel: 02 9390 2319
Email: purnima.ganapathy@austrade.gov.au

For further news and information from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) visit www.austrade.gov.au/mediacentre.