Helping First Nations businesses to access global markets
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) works with export ready First Nations businesses to help them take their products and services to the world.
Three First Nations Austrade staff members are currently representing Australia as Trade Commissioners overseas. Trade Commissioner Malaysia and Brunei, Melanie Harris is also Austrade’s First Nations Champion. Benson Saulo and Josh Riley are both Consuls General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioners, in Houston and Toronto respectively.. They are helping to embed First Nations perspectives across our global networks. Melanie has helped showcase First Nations businesses across several Southeast Asian countries and major trade shows. She co-hosted native food provider Indigiearth for an education program of stories and products at the Australian High Commission Singapore. Meanwhile, Trade Commissioner, Amelia Walsh facilitated a collaboration between Indigiearth chef Sharon Winsor and Kaarla restaurant chef John Fiechtner. As part of an ongoing program of engagements, Benson facilitated a First Nations trade mission that brought 10 Native American business leaders
to meet with Australian First Nations counterparts in Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin in May 2022. A reciprocal trade mission to Anchorage, Washington DC and New Orleans in the United States in October 2022, led by Supply Nation and the Native American Business Association, allowed Australian Indigenous businesses to share experiences with their US counterparts. Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program is supporting more First Nations businesses to grow their exports. EMDG assisted Gali Swimwear, a 100 per cent First Nations-owned business, to launch and sell their premium men’s swimwear designs in overseas markets. Founder, proud Kamilaroi man David Leslie, encourages potential exporters to apply for EMDGs. Austrade is also a proud sponsor of the Emerging Indigenous Exporter of the Year Award, part of Supply Nation’s annual Supplier Diversity Awards. More: austrade.gov.au
Clockwise from left: 1) Bailey Walker, President of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce, Benson Saulo, Trade Commissioner Houston and Chad Johnson, Managing Director of The Akana Group (a Choctaw business). Photograph by Jax Johnson. 2) Owner and head chef Nornie Bero of Big Esso by Mabu Mabu, a Torres Strait diner at Federation Square in Melbourne. 3) Big Esso’s offering. 4) Melanie Harris, Trade Commissioner Malaysia and Brunei with Mudgee’s Indigiearth chef Sharon Windsor and chef John Fiechtner from Kaarla Singapore at the Australian High Commission in Singapore. 5) Beachtree Distilling Co. 6 and 7) The First Nations Business Trade Fair at Australian Parliament House in Canberra in October 2022 showcased around 75 Indigenous businesses and 600 motivated buyers.
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business envoy
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
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