Australian exporters confident about future trade opportunities

Small and medium exporters are confident about future trade growth and expect their exports to increase.

The good news is revealed in the Exporter Sentiment Index, by Australia's export credit agency Efic, which I release today.

The Index, which surveyed more than 1,200 Australian exporters, indicates strong confidence in exports with 56 per cent expecting their overseas sales to increase in the next 12 months.

The research reflects Australia's recent record trade results, with the value of Australia's exports reaching $32.6 billion in December, the highest level ever in our history.

The findings come as the Turnbull Government pursues an ambitious trade agenda to create more export opportunities for Australian businesses.

The Index reveals half of the respondents believe they are in a better financial position than 12 months ago, and more than half (57 per cent) expect they will be in a better financial situation over the next year. Two in five respondents are also expecting to increase their staff in the next 12 months, creating more Australian jobs.

The optimism of these results speak to the success of the Coalition's trade agenda which is delivering lower tariffs and opening up new markets, creating Australian jobs and economic growth.

However access to finance still remains a challenge for small and medium exporters, further cementing the importance of Efic in providing export businesses with the finance they need when traditional finance solutions are not available to them.

The Efic Exporter Sentiment Index can be found here: https://www.efic.gov.au/education-and-tools/research/exporter-sentiment-index/