11 March 2019

Will Hodgman, Premier

Tasmania's world-class produce shines in Japan

The 2019 Japan Trade and Investment Mission was an important opportunity to showcase the best of our state and support Tasmanian businesses in this key export market.

On the Trade Mission a number of key outcomes were advanced, including;

• The signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Tasmanian Government and Japan Agriculture Biei to pursue research and field trials into Japanese vegetable crop growing in Tasmania.
• Meeting the Japanese Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to promote Tasmania’s premium produce and market access priorities to make it easier for Tasmanian businesses to export to Japan.
• Tasmanian producers took centre stage at FOODEX, Asia's largest exhibition of food and drink products. The Tasmania pavilion provided a platform for our producers to be exposed to new international markets.
• Japanese wine industry leaders were informed about our premium wines at the Tasmanian Wine Masterclass. Importers have already expressed interest in working with Tasmanian brands seeking to enter the Japanese market.
• Discussions with Japan’s National Institute of Polar Research on the potential for establishing an office in Hobart, and enhancing Antarctic and southern ocean research exchange.
• Round tables focussing on Tasmania’s primary industries, forestry and mining were held to promote opportunities for investment, and to promote our high quality products for markets in Japan.

Our latest trade figures show that in the year to January, Tasmania exported $3.74 billion in goods, which is up 11.3 per cent compared to the previous year.

With more than 80 per cent of Tasmania’s international exports in Asian markets - and Japan now our second largest export market - it is vital that we maintain and enhance our connections with this key market.

The Tasmanian Government is committed to positioning our local industries to be globally competitive, helping our businesses expand their presence in markets around the world and attract more investment to create more local jobs. We will do this through our recently released Trade Strategy, that outlines key actions to be undertaken as we work to grow our state’s exports to $15 billion per year by 2050.

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