Expert Export

摘要

Despite the soaring Australian dollar, local manufacturers are increasingly looking overseas to expand their businesses, especially for those operating in highly-specialised areas where finding customers beyond Australia's relatively small domestic market can be important to their growth.Andrea Govaert, executive director, SME at Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC), says that though the exchange rate is one consideration, it is often innovation and service that enables Australian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to win or retain contracts overseas."Australian SMEs are incredibly innovative, developing smart new business ideas or finding fresh takes on established ways of doing things. This means they often aren't competing solely on price, but more on the basis of technology, service or quality," Govaert told Manufacturers' Monthly.But as well as the high dollar, she says another challenge of exporting for SMEs can be meeting international customers' requirements for bonds.