Swift Australia won the 2010 Queensland Exporter of the Year Award at the 21^st Premier of Queensland Export Awards staged recently at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Qld Premier Anna Bligh.

Based at Riverview, Ipswich, Swift Australia is Australia's largest meat packer and exporter.  Swift also won the Agribusiness award over finalists Queensland Sugar Limited (Brisbane City) and Australian Agriculture Company (Milton)

"(Swift Australia) employs 8,500 people, and exports its meat products to 35 countries including Japan, the United States, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, the Philippines, Canada, and the United Kingdom," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said.

Swift Australia director and manager Jean Carlo Dilly said, "Swift Australia is proud of its export strategy. This requires continual product innovation, proactive marketing and a focus on broadening market access.

"The Queensland Government is export focused and we value the wealth of experience and continued assistance of Trade and Investment Queensland and the overseas trade offices," Mr Carlo Dilly said.

Arts and Entertainment winner was multiple award winner Cutting Edge Post (South Brisbane) over finalists  Battlefield Sports (Clifton Beach, Cairns) and  Village Roadshow Studios (Coomera).

Yeahpoint Pty Ltd (Brisbane City) which develops onsite digital retailing systems for some of the world's biggest mname brands, won the Information and Communications Technology Award over finalists EM Solutions Pty Ltd (Yeronga) and international enterrpsie software developer  Technology One Ltd (Fortitude Valley).

Small to Medium Manufacturer Award winner was Centor Holdings of Eagle Farm, which had a week before taken out the Brisbane Lord Mayor's Business Awards. Finalists were BSD Robotics, a Luminex company, based at Acacia Ridge and MineWare of Milton.

However, MineWare went on to win the Emerging Exporter Award later in the night over finalists ecospecifier Pty Ltd (Morningside) and  Maryborough Sugar Factory Limited of Maryborough.

Griffith University, with campuses at Nathan, South Bank and Gold Coast, won theEducation and Training Award over the Queensland University of Technology International Projects Unit (Brisbane) andSkillsTech Australia, which has campuses at Acacia Ridge, Alexandra Hills, Bracken Ridge, Eagle Farm, Ithaca, Mt Gravatt, Salisbury and Yeronga.

Xstrata Mount Isa Mines (Mount Isa) was the Premier's Export Award winner for theMinerals and Energy category. Finalists were Ludowici Ltd (Pinkenba) and Sedgman Limited (Milton).

Sedgman went on to win the Large Services category, over finalists Xstrata Technology Pty Ltd (Brisbane) and Griffith University.

Small to Medium Services winner was Place Design Group of  Fortitude Valley, getting the nod over finalists JKTech Pty Ltd (Indooroopilly) and Hydrobiology QLD Pty Ltd (Milton)

Small Business winner was ecospecifier Pty Ltd with other category finalists Asia Pacific ASA Pty Ltd (Gold Coast) and GBI Mining Intelligence (Eight Mile Plains).

Cook Australia, also headquartered at Eight Mile Plains, won the Large Advanced Manufacturer  category over finalists Ludowici and Swift Australia.

Regional Exporter of the Year winner was Hervey Bay Whale Watch (Hervey Bay, over finalists Becker Helicopters Pty Ltd (Marcoola, Sunshine Coast) and Capricorn Sandstone Quarries (Rockhampton)

However,Becker Helicopters went on to win the Dermot McManus Award, named after the late Queensland Trade Commissioner.

The Richard Joel Young Export Entrepreneur winner, named after the late founder of the former Brisbane Office of Economic Development, was Alan McCabe of Fern Software (Brisbane).

TheTom Burns Award for growing exports to Asia markets, named after the late State Labor Leader and trade advocate, was won by Capricorn Sandstone Quarries of Rockhampton.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's Special Award went to Professor Arun Sharma.

"I also wish winners of the Premier of Queensland's Export Awards all the best as they progress as finalists in the Australian Export Awards. The national winners and finalists will be announced in Sydney on  December 1," Ms Bligh said.

"In 2009-10 the value of Queensland's merchandise exports were worth more $42.7billion dollars to Queensland's economy," Ms Bligh said.

"We know that exporting is vital to Queensland's economy and jobs. And we need to continue to look beyond our borders, to grow established relationships and develop new markets to enable our world-class industries to expand and create new jobs.

"The Premier of Queensland's Export Awards, presented each year during Queensland's Export Week, recognise the achievements and capabilities of the State's export businesses and industries. The awards give our excellent exporters due congratulation and reward for their efforts overseas, further establishing Queensland as a reliable global supplier of quality export products and services."

http://www.export.qld.gov.au/

International trade opportunities are being highlighted in seminars and events throughout Queensland's Export Week 2010 until Friday, October 22.

ADG's Tammy Halter (centre) is a previous Qld Export Award winner.

Trade Minister, Stephen Robertson, said Queensland companies stood to gain valuable insights from the Export Week 2010 program with a range of activities held across the State to recognise, promote and assist Queensland companies to go global.

A highlight of Export Week 2010, organised by Trade and Investment Queensland, will be the presentation of the Premier of Queensland's Export Awards, now in their 21st year.

"These awards are Queensland's highest recognition of export achievement," Mr Robertson said.

"In 2009-10, Queensland companies exported more than $42billion in merchandise exports, providing valuable income to our economy."

Mr Robertson said the Export Week 2010 program includes the Trade Commissioners across Queensland regional program with visits to Cairns, Townsville, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Logan, Toowoomba, Brisbane Northside and Mount Isa.

The program involves Chris Rodwell (Trade and Investment Commissioner for the Americas); Zijian Zhang (Trade and Investment Commissioner for China); Andrew Craig (Trade and Investment Commissioner for Europe); Elizabeth Sullivan (Trade and Investment Commissioner for Taiwan); Tak Adachi (Trade and Investment Commissioner for Japan); Hassan Miski (Trade and Investment Commissioner for Saudi Arabia); Susan Rae (Trade and Investment Commissioner for the United Arab Emirates); Rod Solomons (Trade and Investment Commissioner for India); Sang Min Woo (Trade and Investment Commissioner for Korea); Simon Lee (Trade and Investment Commissioner for Hong Kong); Jeremy Blockey (Special Trade Representative to Papua New Guinea); Oka Simanjuntak (business development manager for Indonesia); Jun Xu (business development for Guangzhou); and Martin Vega (senior business development manager based in Chile).

"The program includes several Brisbane-based events, including the business breakfast and export showcase, market updates, Getting Export Smart workshops, an investment luncheon, and sector specific events including aviation, creative industries, education and training, and water management," MrRobertson said.

"There will be a number of seminars focusing on export markets including business opportunities in the Americas, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and China, India, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Africa and the Middle East.

Mr Robertson said that as part of Export Week 2009, Queensland companies had attended some 45 events held across the State, including networking opportunities, seminars, and market information sessions.

"Export Week 2010 will highlight the significance of exporting to the Queensland economy and celebrate the success of Queensland exporters.

"Through strong support for exporting in our State, we are taking another step towards delivering the jobs that we want for Queenslanders. I invite exporters, and those considering global business as a future option, to come and make the most of Export Week activities," Mr Robertson said.

"Activities held during Export Week will help to maintain and grow Queensland's overseas exports."

http://www.export.qld.gov.au

Australia

's largest free trade agreement - the Association of South East Asian Nations-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) - enjoyed its first working day on January 4, 2010.

Trade Minister Simon Crean (left) presents the Australian Exporter of the Year Award to Neil O'Sullivan of Queensland's NOJA Power. New opportunities abound through AANZFTA.

The historic agreement will span 12 economies with over 600 million people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $3.1trillion.

For Queensland, the gains are expected to be particularly strong in the education secotor, where there is, for example, an immediate expansion from seven to 36 subject areas that Australian education providers can deliver in Vietnam.

AANZFTA is Australia's first multi-country FTA and the most comprehensive FTA ever concluded by ASEAN.

"The commencement of this agreement is a major milestone and opens up significant opportunities for Australian businesses in one of the fastest growing regions in the world," Federal Trade Minister Simon Crean said.

"With Asia leading the global recovery and six out of 10 ASEAN markets expected to grow at rates at least double the forecast OECD average in 2010, there is great potential for Australian exporters to enter new markets."

"This agreement is also an important building block towards deepening Australia's economic integration with the dynamic Asian region.

"As of today, the agreement covers around 70 percent of Australia's trade with ASEAN countries with which we do not have bilateral FTAs," Mr Crean said.

The agreement includes:

* The immediate elimination of a 10 percent tariff on $9.6million of Australian processed cheese exports (in 2008) to Malaysia.

* The immediate elimination of a 5 percent tariff on $7.2million of exports of fresh grapes to Malaysia.

* The immediate elimination of a 3 percent tariff on $22million of wheat exports to the Philippines.

* The immediate elimination of a 5 percent tariff on $3million of sheep meat exports to the Philippines

"By 2020, the deal will eliminate tariffs on 96 percent of our current exports to ASEAN nations," Mr Crean said.

ASEAN accounted for 15 percent of Australia's trade, valued at $83billion in 2008-2009. This is as large as Australia's trade with China, Australia's largest trading partner.

About 42 percent of Australia's total exporter base - about 18,500 Australian exporters - trade with ASEAN.

In addition to Australia and New Zealand, AANZFTA has entered into force for the following ASEAN countries: Brunei, Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand are expected to ratify the agreement in the early part of this year.

"I urge the Australian business community to take full advantage of the many benefits that this far-reaching agreement has to offer," Mr Crean said.

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