Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts. I will deal with a couple of the matters the senator raised. He's correct. As market opportunities, business opportunities for Australian farmers and other businesses have opened up as a result of trade agreements struck by Australia, farmers and businesses have adapted their businesses to take advantage of those opportunities. They have planted more of certain varieties, they have grown more of certain commodities and that, of course, is as you would expect. That is one of the reasons why Australia has just recorded a record trade surplus, because our businesses have responded to the new opportunities available to them.

Now, with all business engagements come certain degrees of risk and certain degrees of unpredictable circumstances. Obviously the coronavirus, at present, has impacted upon many different business sectors and will continue to do so for an unknown period of time. We have been working to try to help those businesses access new market opportunities in a range of different ways. As I indicated to Senator Hanson last week: in terms of the seafood sector, we have provided a dedicated Austrade contact reference point for that sector to give them access not just to one different market but to also advise on other different markets that we have trade representation in and the ability to be able to service in those markets.

In terms of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, it doesn't just contain agreements across a range of categories to lower tariffs or increase quotas or, indeed, eliminate in some cases tariffs or quotas; it also does contain guarantees around the issuing of import permits to make bureaucratic procedures easier. I cannot, Senator Roberts, off the top of my head recall the place of table grapes in relation to that. If I have particular information in relation to table grapes that can be of assistance, I'll make sure that is provided to you and to the chamber.