The Australian Government has advised that while the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) continues to be a targeted, temporary emergency measure, businesses should use this time to adjust to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

Reports suggest that air travel is unlikely to return to pre-COVID conditions until 2024. International Freight Coordinator General, Michael Byrne, suggests businesses should consider the following:

1. Aggregate and consolidate – With COVID-19 still impacting flights, businesses need to work together with other exporters and freight forwarders to consolidate loads.

2. Deal in facts – Consider new options for how you could get your goods where they need to go, but have a clear understanding of the realities of the situation.

3. Plan – With flight numbers down approximately 80% from last year and freight capacity filling up weeks in advance, it is no longer feasible to book freight on the same day you’re intending to ship. Businesses need to be forward planning their freight movements and business operations.

4. Adjust and evolve – Use this time to adjust, look at the structure of your business, your product and your supply chains. For example, are there insufficiencies in your supply chain? Can you re-negotiate third-party contracts? Change your packaging? Export by sea rather than air? Use this breathing space to plan for your long-term financial profitability.

Full details on the latest IFAM outbound and inbound flights are available on the IFAM website.

Exporters should speak to their freight forwarder and visit the IFAM webpage for further assistance. If you have any questions or need more information, please email Airfreight@austrade.gov.au, or Austrade State Director WA, Jane Caforio, on jane.caforio@austrade.gov.au.

Exporters may also contact Terry Burnage, the WA Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development's Principal Business Development Manager / Agrifood Air Freight Coordinator, on terry.burnage@dpird.wa.gov.au. More... Source: Austrade / DPIRD | Photo: Azlan Baharudin / Unsplash

Austrade has launched a new Free Trade Advantage e-learning and resources platform, a practical guide designed to help new and experienced Australian exporters access the benefits of Australia’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

By signing up, you will be able to access a range of useful resources such as:

• An introduction to FTAs
• How to utilise FTAs
• FTA market insights
• Online exporting
• Government support for businesses.

For further assistance, please contact Austrade.  More...  |  Related:  Australia’s Free Trade Advantage: Featuring Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham with a spotlight on the USA  |  Source & Photo:  Austrade

Every two years, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and GlobeScan conduct one of the largest seafood consumer surveys in the world – over 25,000 consumers in 23 markets.

Join in for one of MSC's three free webinars across global time zones (Americas, Europe/AMESA and Asia Pacific) between 10 and 12 November 2020. In these sessions, MSC will share findings from its seafood consumer research and Globescan’s Healthy and Sustainable Living survey and explore 2020 consumer trends in sustainable diets and seafood consumption.  How consumers may act in a post-COVID world will then be discussed.

The Asia Pacific webinar will take place next Thursday 12 November 2020 at 12 noon AWST and will include guest panellists Katie Saunders from Simplot Australia and Lucas Glanville from Hyatt Hotels.

The one-hour webinars focus on the research findings from your area of the world.  More...  Source & Photo:  MSC  

Want to get practical and actionable advice on how to successfully export?  Do you prefer to learn from a facilitator from the food and agribusiness sector, who has developed export markets for over two decades and has current insights and case studies to share?  If so, join the next Export Masterclass and learn how to develop your export strategy, select the right markets and buyers, tailor your pitch, activate sales and much more.

The Masterclasses have been created by Export Connect and feature real-life case studies of leading food businesses to help new and experienced exporters succeed.

The Export Masterclass will be delivered via Zoom and across three, two-hour modules on 9, 11 and 12 November from 8 am to 10 am AWST.

These sessions are for anyone interested in exporting their food and beverage products, especially to the ASEAN, North Asia and Middle East regions.  More...  Source:  Export Connect  |  Photo:  Shuttersnap / Unsplash

Ten trends – ranging from growth in the consuming class, through to increasing concerns with food security following COVID-19 – will radically change Australia's food and agribusiness sector over the next decade, according to a new report released this week.

Commissioned by the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre, Capturing the Prize takes into account the ten future trends and identifies 19 growth opportunities that could unlock the sector’s untapped potential of over $200 billion within the decade.

The trends include urbanisation helping to create a growing pool of new consumer markets (particularly in Asian cities with populations of between one to five million), through to increasing supply chain connectivity and shifting consumer tastes linked to health and environmental concerns.

New growth opportunities range from satisfying a growing appetite for healthy foods, developing biodegradable packaging and technology, and reducing food waste and increasing crop yields using robotics and internet-controlled sensors on farms.  More...  Source & Photo:  FIAL 

Malaysian food and beverages importers have noted increased demand for apples and citrus produce and they are keen to fulfil this demand with Australian exports, Austrade reports in its latest market update. It also says importer Pikzern Marketing is seeking Australian dairy manufacturers to fulfil monthly orders for up to two, full container-loads of cream as well as sliced processed cheese.

Austrade says Malaysian importer Lam Soon Trading reports a sharp growth in local demand for Australian pasta and pasta sauces since the lockdown commenced in March. Simultaneously the importer is experiencing supply side shocks, which are attributed to Australian suppliers prioritising domestic demand over exports, as well as to logistical challenges and delays.

In Singapore, Austrade advises there are reports that sales of Australian meat products through e-commerce channels have improved during the COVID-19 period, with a shift in consumer habits towards higher and more frequent purchases online. Wine sellers report extremely robust sales through retail-only channels – even during the circuit breaker (stay-at-home order) period.  More...  Source:  Austrade  |  Photo:  DPIRD

The Australian Food and Grocery Council, with funding support from the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, has called on Australian processed food exporters to help identify non-tariff measures and comment on trade barriers specific to their industry.

The processed food export sector is increasingly facing non-tariff measures. Non-tariff measures are requirements countries apply to traded goods separate to ordinary customs tariffs. They can affect international trade by impacting quantities, prices and increased risk and cost for the exporters.

An online survey can be undertaken until 13 November 2020.  More...  Source:  AFGC / DFAT |  Photo:  DPIRD

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) has issued an Industry Advice Notice to notify interested exporters that applications for reservations of tariff rate quota for feed grain exports to Indonesia opened on 1 November 2020.

Exporters wishing to access the feed grain tariff rate quota (TRQ) to Indonesia in 2021 must submit a completed Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) feed grain TRQ reservation applications to the Quota Administration Unit.

The IA-CEPA feed grain TRQ allows access for specified volumes of eligible feed grain to be exported to Indonesia at reduced tariff rates when accompanied by a TRQ certificate. A total of 525,250 tonnes of feed grain is available for the 2021 quota year.  The TRQ is administered by DAWE under a sales contract-based reservation system.  More...  Source:  DAWE  |  Photo:  DPIRD