Tasmania

Tasmania is Australia’s island state, with a total land area of 68,000km2. This is a little over 13 times the size of the Aichi Prefecture.

Situated below the south-eastern corner of the Australian continent, 40° south of the equator, Tasmania enjoys a similar climate to the Aomori Prefecture in the north of Honshu, and has similar primary industries.

A strong commercial and exporting relationship has existed between Japan and Tasmania for many years. Japan is our largest export market, accounting for almost 25% of our international merchandise sales for the year ended June 2003, a total value of A$588m. Several Japanese companies have also invested in Tasmania, in areas as diverse as grain-fed beef, Japanese strawberries, buckwheat and forestry plantations.

Clean green produce

The Japanese market is highly discerning, with an emphasis on the quality of products and the environment in which they are produced. Tasmania’s recognised fruit-fly-free status and success with apples has encouraged a Tasmanian company to invest in a new orchard producing Japanese cherries. Other crops being trialled to meet the demands identified by the Japanese market include wasabi, green tea and Japanese grapes. Recent examples of food products entering the market include oysters and organic walnuts.

Tasmania continues to be an attractive supplier of educational services to Japanese students at government schools, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the University of Tasmania. At TAFE Tasmania, the largest complement of international students is from Japan. Tasmania is also a popular holiday destination for many Japanese tourists.
The Tasmanian Government actively encourages export development and investment. There are many more opportunities for extending the trade between our two regions.

The Prefectural Government of Aichi is to be congratulated for staging the 2005 World Expo. Events such as this contribute to a mutual understanding of our two regions and build the level of knowledge for Japanese businesses interested in developing or exploring opportunities in the southern hemisphere.

>> www.premier.tas.gov.au