ABC broadcasted a 90-min special "Window on China" episode of Landline on Sunday 5 February, a must-watch for all prospective Australian exporters in China.
Growing demand from China's affluent middle-class for clean, premium imported products is paving the way for big export opportunities for Australian businesses. While producers in the agriculture sector keep hearing about the substantial potential of the Chinese market, many are still not sure where to start. "You'll never get anything done unless you go and see it yourself," says Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) CEO Ben Lyons.
With this in mind, TSBE took a 240-strong group of farmers and food manufacturers from the newly-opened Wellcamp airport last October for a ground-breaking mission to Shanghai.
ABC reporter Pip Courtney and her team followed the AccessChina16' delegates as they met with beef importers and freight handlers, and visited logistics and e-commerce operation centres like Alibaba to learn about business opportunities with Australia's largest trading partner.
The documentary features various interviews with branding agencies, leading industry bodies and distributors to get a comprehensive view of the risks and opportunities of exporting to China. AustCham Shanghai member companies China Skinny, The Silk Initiative, Stahmann Farms, The Export Group, MLA and Sanitarium all provide valuable insights into the complexity of understanding today's Chinese consumer trends and getting one's products on local supermarket shelves.
AustCham Shanghai Chairman and Elders China CEO Craig Aldous was also invited to share his company's success story, warning prospective exporters that cracking the Chinese market can cost far more and take longer than expected.
According to him, one of the keys to success in China is to focus on what you do best. "In such a complex market like China, you need to be very good at what you do, and if you do too many product categories at once you spread yourself too thin and don't end up doing any of it very well," he told Pip Courtney.
Click here to watch the full video on ABC iview.
