Simplified Trade System
Whole-of-government microeconomic trade reform, delivering value for Australians
The Simplified Trade System will simplify Australia's international trade regulations, modernise outdated ICT systems, and strengthen Australia's economic resilience.
Challenges faced in today's trade industry
For Australian businesses looking to import or export, the process can be expensive and time-consuming, with multiple government jurisdictions and regulations to navigate. Our engagement with businesses so far has shown they can find it difficult to navigate trade related information which is available on multiple government and non-government sources.
We have heard that better coordination between Commonwealth agencies and review of duplicative processes will benefit Australian importers and exporters. At present, the regulations that impact cross-border goods are administered by more than 28 Commonwealth government agencies.
We also know that clearer communication will assist Australian trade businesses to plan more effectively and improve their productivity.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has both exacerbated operating costs for business and accelerated interest in digital solutions leading to the reduction of manual and paper based processes.
Australia’s trade system reimagined
The time is right for the Government to increase its efforts and review
the end-to-end trade environment to see how it can simplify
processes for Australian businesses. This will drive Australia’s post COVID-19 economic recovery and future prosperity.
A Taskforce has been established to cut red tape and progress toward a simplified, tell-us-once digital model for government-business interactions for importers and exporters. The Simplified Trade System reforms will streamline Australia’s international trade regulations, modernise outdated ICT systems and help strengthen Australia’s economic resilience.
The Government will co-design this reform with business to ensure business needs are at the centre of the new trade environment. It will:
- Simplify and streamline trade processes for Australian business
- Produce modern and globally competitive trade practices
- Boost economic recovery
- Trade growth and diversification
- Productivity and job creation
- Strengthen trade system resilience