Western Australian products were introduced to global buyers at FOODEX Japan 2022, one of the largest food and beverage trade shows in Asia.

FOODEX Japan provided an opportunity for 27 WA local businesses to expand their business into the global market and to connect with potential buyers.

The WA booth was organised by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, and the WA Government Investment and Trade Office in Tokyo.

A wide range of WA products – seafood, chocolate, grains, honey, horticulture, meat, hemp foods, spirits, beer, and other premium processed food companies – were represented at the WA booth by the WA Government.

The WA products attracted participants and potential buyers, resulting in over 150 enquiries being received in the four-day exhibition. The booth linked buyers to a broader range of WA exporters via a QR code to the Western Australian Exporter Directory. Source and Photo: DPIRD / JTSI [WA Government Investment and Trade Office team in Tokyo at FOODEX. L-R: Momoko Toyama, Director, Investment and Trade; Nicole Fasana, Investment and Trade Commissioner for North East Asia; Ai Nagamatsu, Office Manager; Yujun Ichikawa, Senior Business Development Manager.]

The Western Australian $100 million Investment Attraction Fund is open and presents an exciting opportunity for businesses looking to establish or expand business operations in WA by accessing financial assistance of up to $5 million.

The Fund is open to WA, interstate and international businesses and aims to attract proposals that will create jobs that attract skilled talent, increase WA’s competitiveness and contribute to a more diversified economy. The Guidelines outline the eight priority industries for strategic development in WA, eligibility criteria and other information.

Businesses in the primary industries sector interested in submitting an Expression of Interest must do so by 3pm AWST on 4 May 2022, and can discuss their proposal with a Business Development Manager at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: Ed Hauck 0459 891 834, Peter May on 0412 126 331. Source and Photo:  DPIRD / JTSI

The Western Australian Government has launched a new grants program to test traceability systems for plant and plant products such as grains, fruit, vegetables and nursery stock. Grants of up to $25,000 are available to test technologies and systems which can be applied in a plant biosecurity emergency and to protect the State's valuable plant industries and markets.

A total of $100,000 is available under the Testing Traceability Systems Grant Program, targeted at traceability platforms, universities, agricultural industry peak bodies and agricultural industry grower groups.

WA Minister for Agriculture and Food, Alannah MacTiernan, said traceability plays a key role in food integrity, meeting market access requirements for trade and supporting industry to meet quality standards and consumer expectations.

The program, run by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, is part of broader work under way at a State and national level to improve supply chain traceability systems which help underpin strong biosecurity and food safety. More... Source: WA Minister for Agriculture and Food | Photo: DPIRD

The Australian British Chamber of Commerce has just released a report into the business views of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement signed late last year by the Australian and UK Governments.

The report takes in the views of over 300 organisations including interviews with some organisations who are keen to take advantage of the new provisions. More... Source: ABBC / DFAT | Image: DFAT

Seafood Industry Australia has just released a series of free market summaries and supply chain guides to help producers gain valuable insights into new markets.

These reports can help producers diversify and find new and profitable export destinations. This may help reduce any risk associated with supplying a narrower range of countries. Producers can compare markets and check market access, in order to select markets where they have the greatest chance of success.

Markets with high-growth potential are a focus of the reports. They provide an overview on trade agreements, market access requirements, economic and demographic indicators, consumer behaviour and societal trends, category channels, along with trade and consumption data.

Check out the reports here. Source and Image:  SIA

A recent World Trade Organisation global supply chains forum was told the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a huge shift in demand from services to goods, with this increased demand for goods creating a larger demand for shipments.

Bottlenecks have occurred, as shoreside infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the amount of shipments. While bringing on more cargo ships has helped address swings in demand, calls have been made to increase investment in shoreside infrastructure in order to build sufficient surge capacity.

Measures to improve supply chain efficiency include boosting the number of professional truck drivers, a strategic review of economic regulation of the global container sector, increased terminal automation and using data sharing to enhance efficiency between ports and truck drivers.

With higher oil prices and economic uncertainty around the current conflict in Ukraine, reducing supply chains costs will be critical in meeting import and export demand. More... Source: WTO | Photo: Shutterstock