Australian companies expect to export more this year than in 2011 and are targeting newinternational markets as confidence bounces back, according to a new DHL survey released
today.Australian exporter confidence has recovered after a significant dip in 2011, thanks to a rangeof business strategies, including exporting to new markets, product and service innovation andgrowing orders from existing destinations. The ninth annual DHL Export Barometer report found thathalf of exporters expect company profitability to increase in the next twelve months, compared to41% in 2011.
Over the past year the strong Australian dollar and exchange rates have had the greatestnegative impact on Australian export sales (66%), according to the survey. This has had an adverseaffect on exporters’ ability to compete with overseas competitors, sales revenue and the pricesthey are able to charge. The industries particularly affected are agriculture (81%) andmanufacturing (67%).
But 57% of exporters expect to increase their export orders in 2012, up from 48% last year, thesurvey showed. Innovation and product refinement were identified as the top strategies to cope withthe strong Australian dollar.
New Zealand has emerged as a market of growing importance for Australian exporters. Not only didit top the list of current export destinations (50% this year compared to 39% last year), but NewZealand has replaced the UK as the third biggest export destination predicted in five years’ time(34%).
At the same time, emerging markets such as Indonesia and the Middle East were highlighted as thebiggest markets for growth in the future.
Gary Edstein, Senior Vice President, DHL Express Oceania, believes New Zealand is an importantmarket for Australian exporters. “New Zealand has always been an uncomplicated trading opportunityfor Australians with many using it as a testing ground for their business before launching intolarger export markets. What is interesting this year is that more exporters are seeing New Zealandas a source of future growth, perhaps due to an unstable and challenging global market.”
