AAAA: Building Australia’s Automotive Aftermarket Exports
With the pending shutdown of local car manufacturing in Australia, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) is taking the lead to build automotive products exports.
The AAAA is taking action to help Australia’s healthy auto aftermarket segment further expand to usefully redeploy some of the thousands of skilled people who face unemployment and the sophisticated manufacturing equipment they operate.
AAAA Executive Director Stuart Charity said the innovative Australian auto aftermarket is increasing its export focus and taking its products to the world. “The AAAA is mounting a comprehensive campaign to stimulate exports of Australian technology and manufactured products,” he said.
“We believe the need to grow manufactured exports is urgent to maintain the health of Australia’s diverse automotive manufacturing industry,” said Stuart Charity.
Working with Austrade offices, in recent months the AAAA has organised visiting trade delegations from Thailand and Indonesia, and the international reception hosted at its Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo in April welcomed buyers from over 20 countries. In August the AAAA will lead a trade delegation of members back to Thailand and Indonesia to capitalise on these export opportunities.
In June, the AAAA led a mission of 15 Australian companies to exhibit their products in a special pavilion at Automechanika Dubai. This huge event attracts 28,000 visitors from 130 countries and most of the 2015 Australian participants have exhibited in past years.
TJM Products International Business Development Manager Michael Everett thanked AAAA for its support and professionalism in organising the 2015 Pavilion at this event. “Every year the Australia Pavilion at Automechanika Dubai proves to play a key strategic role in business development for the Middle East,” he said.
“The Pavilion was well positioned for TJM this year. It was a great opportunity to launch new products, and at the same time, secure new business contracts from the Middle East region,” said Michael Everett.
Another major export mission on the AAAA calendar is the specialist Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show to be held at Indianapolis from 10 to 12 December 2015. Billed as the world’s largest motorsports exhibition, the AAAA has hosted an Australia Pavilion at this show for 7 years with great success.
“Our 2015 PRI Australia Pavilion will feature eight local manufacturers and two VIP networking events to reach out to buyers from all 50 US states and visitors from more than 70 countries,” said Stuart Charity.
Whole of Industry Policy Required
“Australia is internationally recognised for expertise in 4X4 and performance aftermarket components. These and other AAAA member companies work hard to ensure that automotive continues to have a place in Australian manufacturing.
“The AAAA does as much as it can using the limited support available to promote exports by these innovative companies. We are concerned that the Federal Government has no strategy to develop those segments of the Australian automotive manufacturing industry that will remain after the three car companies cease local production.
“The current Senate Inquiry into The Future of Australia’s Automotive Industry was initiated by Labor and Independent Senators. The AAAA submission to that inquiry calls on the Federal Government to develop a whole of industry strategy covering automotive sectors that will remain after 2017, including the accessories, parts, truck, bus and special vehicles manufacturing segments.
“The Federal Government must recognise that Australia plays an important role in these and provides other significant auto industry capabilities. We need a whole of industry strategy embracing all of these segments to ensure we continue to provide highly skilled manufacturing jobs.
“Such policy will also ensure that Australia continues to develop high technology supply chains in key industrial areas such as design, tooling, 3D printing, electronics, IT and production engineering.
“The skills in this automotive supply chain are critical to growing Australian manufacturing through innovation and exports,” said Stuart Charity.
Read the AAAA submission to the Senate Inquiry into The Future of Australia’s Automotive Industry by CLICKING HERE.