SEAFOOD TRADE MATTERS

26th August 2021

Export Market Development Grant applications are now open

Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program helps Australian businesses grow their exports in international markets. Recent changes to the EMDG mean it will now be a grant scheme, rather than a reimbursement-based program. This gives exporters more certainty in the funds they will receive over the term of the grant. 

Small to medium enterprise exporters can apply for 3 different grants over 8 years (not necessarily consecutively) for eligible promotion activities. Eligible expenses include:

-       maintaining a representative in a foreign country
-       short trips to a foreign country
-       engaging a consultant to undertake research or promotional activities
-       short trips within Australia
-       and many others: see more on eligibility here 

The grant amount varies based on the ‘tier’ of the applicant: 

-       ‘Tier one’ (just starting out as exporters): maximum $40,000 per year for two years
-       ‘Tier two’ (expanding and promoting existing overseas sales): maximum $80,000 per
         year for three years 
-       ‘Tier three’ (mature exporters making a strategic shift, for example targeting a      
         market or a new type of customer): maximum $150,000 per year for three years

Businesses can apply for the EMDG program for eligible expenses incurred from 1 July 2021.

Applications opened on 16 August and will close at 5 pm AEDT on 30 November 2021. Why not give it a go? Find out how to apply here. 
 

New ABARES fisheries and aquaculture statistics released

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has released the latest Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics. You can read summaries and the full publication here. 

The new figures show that last year aquaculture made up just over half the total value of the Australian fisheries and aquaculture industry. This was partly a consequence of negative impacts on the wild-catch sector associated with Covid-19 and disruptions to rock lobster and abalone exports, creating a 12 percent contraction by value in wild-catch.

Trade fell during 2019-20, mostly due to the effects of Covid-19 during that period. Overall, Australia’s seafood exports were down 8 percent to $1.41 billion in 2019–20, while imports fell by 4 percent to $2.2 billion. 
 

China Customs update

Note: Articles in Chinese can be opened in Google Chrome for automatic translation.

In the past two weeks, China Customs has suspended seven Indonesian seafood
 exporting enterprises due to detections of Covid-19 on outer packaging of frozen squid, frozen snapper, frozen mackerel, and frozen hairtail, amongst other species.  

One Pakistani enterprise was suspended for a detection on the inner packaging of a batch of frozen surimi, while a cold storage from the Netherlands and a German processing ship were also suspended following a detection in a batch of frozen Atlantic herring. 

Yiwu port customs intercepted a haul of endangered aquatic wild animals and products. 

Hong Kong Customs also seized suspected smuggled endangered marine fish and corals last week. 
 

Government Briefings

An IFAM Queensland Industry Freight Briefing will be held on Friday 27 August 9am – 10am (AEST). To join the meeting, click here. 
 

Taiwan: update on market access improvements

As we reported in the 1 July edition of Seafood Trade Matters, Taiwan has formally recognised the Australian seafood export system for all species of seafood and all types of products under the HS code headings of 03, 1604 and 1605, including rock lobster and abalone species.

This comes after four years of negotiations between the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (TFDA). Read more about the outcomes and how to take advantage of openings in the Taiwan seafood import market here.
 

DAWE Regulatory Practice Statement

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) has published a new Regulatory Practice Statement.

The new statement outlines the department’s approach to delivering better practice regulation, and a framework to support an improved regulatory capability and culture for the organisation.

The statement will also be supported by a Compliance Policy (currently in development) that will outline DAWE’s approach to managing compliance and responses to non-compliance. 

If you have any questions or comments for the department, please contact: rwgsecretariat@agriculture.gov.au.

You can read the full statement at www.awe.gov.au/regulatory-practice
 

IFAM updates

The IFAM flight schedules have been updated with the latest details on IFAM-supported flights.

Recent changes to outbound flights include: 

- An additional day for the Qantas service from Brisbane to Los Angeles
- An additional day for the Qantas service from Brisbane to Narita
- An additional day for the Qantas service from Melbourne to Los Angeles 
- A additional day for the existing Qantas service from Melbourne to Shanghai (via Sydney) 
- An extension of the Emirates service from Perth to Singapore.
- An additional day for the Qantas service from Sydney to Los Angeles 
- An additional day for the Qantas service from Sydney to Los Angeles (Via Melbourne) 
- An additional day for the Qantas service from Sydney to Los Angeles (Via Brisbane)
- An extension of the Singapore airlines service from Toowoomba to Singapore (Via Cairns)

Full details can be found in the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound and IFAM Flight Schedule Inbound.

STAG Survey:

Have your say on the way we deliver News Bites and other STAG updates

Help us help you keep up-to-date with the market intelligence and advice that you need, by completing our STAG survey.

Over August and September were are asking subscribers to give us feedback which will help shape the way we deliver STAG updates. As a valued member of our Australian seafood exporters community,  we would love to get your feedback on the STAG's activities.

It is a short 3-minute survey, and your responses will help us ensure that the STAG provides a service that provides value to you. To start the survey, please click on the big bright orange button below: 
 

The Seafood Trade Advisory Group (STAG) creates informative resources for Australian seafood exporters. The STAG receives funds from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC). The FRDC plans, invests in, and manages fisheries research and development throughout Australia.  It is a statutory authority within the portfolio of the Federal Minister for Agriculture Water and the Environment and is jointly funded by the Australian government and the fishing industry.