REGAINING OUR GROUND IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 1
We re ready. Over the last four years, we ve been working hard developing our vision for the future of South Australia. Not just policies, but a series of achievable milestones that have been crafted for the long-term benefit of our state. Our focus will be MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. We ve got a strong plan for real change. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 2
WHAT WE LL DO If elected in March 2018, a Marshall Liberal Government will implement a comprehensive policy to boost South Australia s international trade and support our exporters. A much stronger export performance will help transform the South Australian economy. We will have a minister with sole responsibility for exports and investment heading an agency with the same mission to drive a whole of government export policy. We will significantly upgrade South Australia s overseas trade representation. During the first term of a Liberal Government, South Australia will open new trade offices in Japan, Malaysia, Dubai and the United States. We will also significantly enhance our presence in China by opening a new trade office in Shanghai. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 3
MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. CHINA A Marshall Liberal Government will retain South Australia s trade office in Jinan and enable it to give greater focus to expanding our trade with South China. To cover North and East China, we will open a South Australian representative office in Shanghai. All the other mainland states have trade offices in Shanghai but South Australia s representation is limited to an officer embedded in Austrade. We need to be much more ambitious to grow our trade with China. By significantly expanding our representation in Shanghai, we can re-locate to Guangzhou, the South Australian officer currently embedded with Austrade in Shanghai. South Australia s links with Guangzhou are increasing with the introduction of direct flights and growing trade in food, wine and services and having a dedicated Austrade officer in this location will grow opportunities in this market even further. OTHER TRADE OFFICES In its first term a Marshall Liberal Government will also open South Australian Trade Offices, each headed by a commissioner, in: Tokyo to cover North East Asia Kuala Lumpur to cover South East Asia Dubai to cover the Middle East, India and Africa The United States to cover the Americas In addition, we will increase the number of international locations at which South Australia will have representatives embedded with Austrade. Our Agent General s Office in London will continue to provide direct South Australian trade representation in Britain and Europe. Positioning teams with local expertise in overseas markets will facilitate business introductions, leads and matches to help our exporters expand across the globe. Having offices in key markets gives South Australia the flexibility to immediately act on export and investment opportunities. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 4
MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. OTHER MEASURES Increased overseas trade representation is just one part of the comprehensive program a Marshall Liberal Government will deliver to support an export-led transformation of our economy. Our program includes the already announced Globe Link a combination of new road, rail and airport infrastructure to provide a generational upgrade of our freight export infrastructure. Our approach to export growth also includes: Providing export businesses with a one-stopshop for training, mentoring and advice on boosting existing markets and securing new ones More focused outbound and inbound trade missions Increased funding and more extensive eligibility criteria for export funding support Marketing South Australia with an export, business and innovation focus Increased funding of initiatives to attract more international students to study in Adelaide A targeted policy to grow population and attract more skilled and business migrants A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 5
MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. WHY WE RE DOING IT South Australia has always been outward looking. Right through our history, from our pioneering grain growers, wine makers and miners, we have retained a capacity to produce more than we need ourselves. We have never been able to grow our economy by just producing for ourselves. That s why it s of great concern that under Labor, our export performance has fallen behind the rest of Australia. When Labor came to office in 2002, South Australia was supplying 7.4% of Australia s merchandise exports. Our current share is 4%. Had South Australia retained its share, the State s merchandise exports would be worth about $9 billion a year more. That would boost Gross State Product by about 7%. Had South Australia retained our 2002 share of national exports today, we could be supporting tens of thousands of additional jobs. In recent years we ve lost ground in major markets like China. China is Australia s biggest export market by far. But it is highly competitive and South Australia is not making the most of the opportunities. Over the past 12 months, the value of Australia s merchandise exports to China exceeded $100 billion. It s the first time in our nation s history that we have had exports to any one destination exceeding more than $100 billion in value in a twelve-month period. Over the past three years alone, Australia s trade in goods to China has increased in value by 19.3%. But in the same period, the value of South Australian goods exported to China has dropped by more than 25%. Three years, ago, South Australia accounted for more than 3% of Australian merchandise exports to China. Over the past 12 months that has dropped to 2.3% and this is significant in terms of lost earnings and jobs. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 6
STEVEN MARSHALL MP State Liberal Leader www.strongplan.com.au Phone: 08 8363 9111 Email: steven@stevenmarshall.com.au A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 7