Australia

In recent decades Australia’s surge in economic growth has secured its position as one of the strongest economies in the world this leading status has been propelled by business investment, household spending and the mining sector. Australia is with the Top 25 of the world’s largest exporters of merchandise.

Australia culture is founded on stories past through the generations of bushrangers, work and sporting heroes. When conducting business within Australia it is essential to understand the mere expanse of the country, for at 7,741,220 sq. km it is not a light decision to be bicoastal commuter.

Although one of the smallest continents, Australia’s six states combined make up the world’s sixth largest country.

These are the states of Australia

Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania

These are the territories of Australia

Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Jervis Bay Territory

The predominant language in Australia is English with a small percentage falling to Cantonese, Italian, Greek and Arabic. There are certain words and expressions which are regarded as Australian English or “speaking Strine”, for example “Snag” means sausages and “Arvo” means afternoon.

A common perception of Australians is that they are laid back with an informal and excessively open demeanour however with Australia’s ever increasing cultural diversity this is a stereotype which does not ring true. Australians are very matter of fact when it comes to talking be it casual or business; negotiations lean towards being short and to the point.

It is well known that Australia has existing Free Trade Agreements (known as FTAs) with a number of countries Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore to name but a few.

An FTA can be defined as a contractual agreement between two or more parties which entitles each other to preferential access within the respective market.

Near on 100% of Australia’s international trade is transported by sea and so Australia’s ports are pivotal in managing Australia’s ever expanding economic success.

Meetings do tend to planned in lesser detail than other countries with constructive deviation away from business agenda seen as pragmatic.

Australians favour eye contact when holding a conversation as they believe it is a sign of respect and an indication the person they are conversing with is listening to them.

Australians have no hesitation in saying a straight forward but polite “No” to anything they object to. This should not be seen as rude or offensive as it is their culture to be frank and say what they mean.

Acceptable topics when conversing are the weather, sports and Australia’s positive attributes.

Areas to avoid are politics, sex and religion unless the Australian you are conversing with brings these subjects up.

The Port of Melbourne. Located in south east Australia, Melbourne is home to the busiest port for containerised and general cargo within Australia. Statistically The Port of Melbourne which sits on the mouth of the Yarra River handles approximately $75 billion in trade and 39% of the countries container trade each year.

The Port of Sydney. As the most popular city in Australia, Sydney does fall to host the second largest container port and with being the first major port in Australia’s history it has been in operation for 200 years. The Port of Sydney today handles more $50 billion of international and domestic trade per annum.

The Port of Fremantle. Located 30km north of Perth, The Port of Fremantle does in fact operate from two separate locations ; Fremantle Inner Harbour and the Outer Harbour. These ports are often the first and last port of call for overseas shipping making it the more well-known port of Australia. Due to the West coast location, The Port of Fremantle is a mere 5 days sea transit to Singapore. Fremantle handle $24 billion in trade per year.

The Port of Brisbane. Located in Queensland, the port of Brisbane is the only purpose built intermodal port complex in Australia. The ports facilities include bulk commodity & general cargo wharves, a cruise terminal and dockyard.

The Port of Adelaide. Positioned on the southern coast of Australia the port of Adelaide has an increased activity with the shipments of grains automotive, wines and concentres.

A favourite past time for the average Australian is to have a social gathering around the “Barbie” (barbeque) in their backyard or on the beach and with more than 80% of Australians living no more 50km away from the coast this life style has become an integral part of the laid back life style which attracts so many tourists and foreign inhabitants each year.

The rich diverse culture Australia holds with pride is reflected within the food they have offer, embracing most of the world’s cuisine to tantalise the most adventurous pallet.

Australians are well known for having quite the love affair for all things relating to the arts. The main cities play host to an array of cultural and music festivals, theatre and dance performances as well art exhibitions.

Some may argue the most popular sport in Australia to watch is the AFL closely followed by the national rugby league.

Australians have a strong ethos the population as an entirety benefit from trade for as we know an increase in trade results in a rise in jobs which presents more opportunities to the business sector.

The majority of Australia’s importing and exporting would be handled on FOB terms.

All non-Australian & non-New Zealand citizens require a visa to enter to Australia, be it a tourist visa, student visa working holiday visa to list but a few.

A visa must be applied for and granted by your nearest Australian Consulate prior to leaving your country of origin

For more detailed information visit the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.

As to when to visit it is recommended that you check the climate of the respective state prior to making travel arrangements.

Tops Tips:

Titles and surnames tend to not be used in conversation.
Australians have a deep affection for sport and with an estimated 6.5 million people in Australia being registered as sports participants within local organisations it may be beneficial to suggest watching a game with a business associate.
The emergency services are contactable on 000.
Restaurants and Hotels do add service charges to your bill as tipping as classed as down to personal choice. Should you decide to tip it is usual to tip waiters 10% of the bill

Key facts:

Capital: Canberra
Population: 24,973,109
Area: 7,617,930 km≤
Currency: Australian Dollar
International Dialling Code: +61
Official Language: English
Main Exports: Iron & concentrates, Coal, Gold, Wheat.
Ports: Melbourne, Sydney, Fremantle, Brisbane & Adelaide
Time Difference: Various – +8 to +10.5 hours ahead of London

Official Season Clarification:

Summer: December – February
Autumn: March – May
Winter: June – August
Spring: September – November

Please Note: The information detailed within the contents of this website is to the best of Neptune Shipping Agency’s Ltd knowledge at the time of inputting and should not under any circumstances be exclusively used in its entirety as fact in forming a decision.

Neptune Shipping Agency Ltd reserve the right to amend any information where they see fit without giving prior notice to its visitors.

This website does include links to Third party sites of which Neptune Shipping Agency Ltd. has no involvement in regarding the contents and management.