A SECOND CHANCE How Team Australia Can Succeed in Asia
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ASIA TASKFORCE FINAL REPORT APRIL 2021 A SECOND CHANCE How Team Australia can succeed in Asia Asia Taskforce is an initiative of Knowledge partners TABLE OF CONTENTS page 1 Foreword 2 2 Introduction and Call for Action 3 3 Executive Summary 5 4 A Work in Progress 8 5 The Roadmap for Success 10 6 Recommendations 26 A Second Chance | 1 SECTION 1 FOREWORD Hon Dan Tehan MP Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Australia’s engagement with Asia The need for business to look Expanding and better using has grown steadily in size and to Asia has never been greater. Australia’s network of 15 free sophistication. We have worked Capturing new and diverse trade agreements (FTA) with to become a trusted strategic and market opportunities in Asia 26 economies will secure new economic partner in the region, will be a key part of Australia’s openings for Australian businesses and to create opportunities for our economic recovery. to expand into Asia. Entry into force businesses to expand into dynamic of the Regional Comprehensive The Australian Government has an and diverse markets. This report Economic Partnership Agreement important role to play in this effort: by the Business Council of Australia and an upgrade to our existing and Asia Society Asia Taskforce is an • Advocating internationally and FTA with ASEAN Member States important and timely reminder that within the region for open rules- and New Zealand will complement there is more work to do to build based trade and investment, the commencement of the and strengthen our relationships including in APEC, the World Comprehensive and Progressive throughout the region. Trade Organization and the G20. Agreement for a Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Indonesia- Importantly, the Asia Taskforce • Expanding access to diverse Australia Comprehensive Economic does more than make the Asian markets through strategic Partnership Agreement. argument that businesses should relationships and trade expand into diverse markets agreements. Strengthening our strategic across Asia. It advocates a Team relationships with economic Australia approach, and identifies • Engaging with Australian partners in the Indo-Pacific, practical, specific actions that business to help them navigate and recent upgrades to our business and governments can market disruptions in the region, partnerships with India, Vietnam, take to strengthen the presence including via market intelligence Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines of Australia, and our businesses, from the Government’s and Singapore, aim to open new in Asia. For business, the report diplomatic network. doors for Australian business. offers practical guidance, including Transparent and open rules- case studies of what successful I encourage all Australian based trade underpins the ability businesses to view our overseas companies do well, and examples of of Australian business to expand country-sector strategies. diplomatic network as your their export markets in response resource, as you look to navigate The significant economic shock to changing market dynamics and markets in Asia and understand caused by COVID-19 has challenged risks. The Government will take a market risks and opportunities. governments, industries and proactive, principled and patient businesses in all countries to approach when advocating for I extend my congratulations and reconsider their trade and stable and open global markets. appreciation to the Asia Taskforce investment settings. The success of Australian business for the release of A Second Chance: and the prosperity of our economy How Team Australia can succeed in depends on it. Asia. I look forward to continuing the Team Australia partnership between government, business and academia as we grow the success of Australia’s businesses in Asia. A Second Chance | 2 SECTION 2 INTRODUCTION AND CALL FOR ACTION Australian business once But the Asia of today is not the The alternative path is to tap into again stands at a crossroads. Asia of four decades ago. It has these diverse Asian markets on the transformed with unprecedented ground rather than just with exports, Not since the 1970s have we income growth, the rapid take-up combined with tax, workplace and witnessed a major re-alignment of new technologies, the growth in regulatory reforms at home. It is in how we trade and invest in services and the digital economy, the path of higher productivity, the world. Back then we lost our new business practices, consumer income growth, quality jobs and imperial trading partner, the preferences and habits. rising living standards. United Kingdom, when it turned to Europe. We faced a stark choice. We now face a much more Getting there is not easy with more We could look inwards and continue complex environment - complexities than we faced in the down the low-growth path of 1980s. It demands that we listen protectionism and autarky. Or both in Asia, and in a global more to our Asian partners and we could strengthen Australia’s competition for access to become more attuned to how we international competitiveness to Asia and its markets and are perceived compared with our look outwards and embrace the consumers. competitors. Getting to know our dynamic, emerging though still region and shifting our attitudes to In recent years we have watched developing, economies of Asia. it is possible and can lead to long- Asia’s inexorable rise and term profitability, as illustrated by Australia made the right choice. transformation, wondering what it the case studies in this report. We opened up and re-oriented might mean for Australia and the our trading relationships to Asia’s West in 10 years’ time or more. There is plenty of room in emerging middle classes. This But slowly we have slipped behind, contributed to nearly three decades re-adjusting at the margins and Asia for Australia, but Asia of uninterrupted growth, prosperity thinking about competitiveness is not waiting for us. and job creation. In many ways as tomorrow’s challenge. We have Asia, with the Peoples Republic we were ahead of our traditional stood back and admired of China (China) at the forefront, Western partners. We took risks, the problem. remains the economic powerhouse including significant structural The disruption of COVID-19 of the world. But the opportunity adjustments to trade–exposed brings forward stark choices. to both diversify and grow our industries at home, resulting Protectionist policies that seemed trade and investment in Asia is in enhanced productivity and a unthinkable a year ago are significant. There is plenty of room globally competitive economy. creeping back. Popular support in Asia for Australia, but Asia is not waiting for us. This is to the credit of the businesses for the open economy cannot which led the way engaging with be taken for granted. Retreating The rationale for greater economic Asia, and to the successive Hawke- to old familiar relationships in engagement with Asia has not Keating-Howard governments Western markets, falling behind dissipated with the pandemic and which supported integration in Asia literacy and failing to build geopolitical tensions surrounding through far-sighted foreign, trade connections with new Asian China’s rise. In fact, both economic and investment policies. business partners should not be and geostrategic forces are seen as a serious default choice pushing Australia even closer to when consumption in Asia will likely our Asian neighbours. fuel future global growth. A Second Chance | 3 S2: INTRODUCTION & CALL FOR ACTION Diversification for Australia though However, we need to understand our We would also like to acknowledge does not mean China or, it must be region and play to our competitive the support that the Taskforce China and. So, learning to navigate strengths; improve our Asia literacy has received from the Australian a more complex relationship with and make better use of our rich Government, particularly China is imperative and efforts Asian and Australian diaspora Senator The Honourable Simon to ensure both countries engage talent; adjust our policies to remove Birmingham who helped launch constructively must be a priority. barriers and encourage innovation the Taskforce, and The Honourable and risk-taking; remain an open Daniel Tehan MP who has Australia is exceptionally well economy and bring our business supported and taken great interest positioned – economically, and government resources and in our work since he became strategically and geographically talent together in a national “Team the Minister for Trade, Tourism - to expand trade and investment Australia” approach to developing and Investment. We would also partnerships, increase our new markets and opportunities. like to thank the Department of economic competitiveness Foreign Affairs and Trade and the through openness and build and While this is the Final Report of Australian Trade and Investment grow new businesses and supply the Taskforce, we will continue to Commission which have provided chains connecting us to the region. advocate for trade and investment considerable support and input to Today, exports make up 29% of in Asia and be champions for the Taskforce’s efforts. Australia’s GDP. We believe that positive change. Among the we should have a national goal to new initiatives outlined in this We hope that the Taskforce has increase that to 35% by the end of report, the Asia Business Action successfully demonstrated that the decade. Group (ABAG) will carry out the Australia has never had a better mission of the Taskforce and bring ‘hand’ to play in Asia, we now need While Australia has navigated together leaders and experts in to play it with bold and intelligent the pandemic relatively well in the priority sectors and countries moves. And while Governments contrast to our global peers, we in Asia to continue to advise and our academic community have have not yet seen its full economic government and business. a vital role to play in support, it is impact. The priority now must be business that must step forward the return to growth and creation We want to thank the Taskforce and focus on growth in Asia.