TASMANIA has recorded a record international merchandise export figure of $4.25 billion over a 12-month period ending November last year.

The numbers had increased 17.3% since November 2020, marking the fourth consecutive month of annual export figures exceeding $4 billion.

Jacquie Petrusma, acting minister for resources and acting minister for primary industries and water, said the data reflects the vitality of the industry.

“These great results are a testament to the strength of our mining and minerals sector that employs more than 5000 people, mostly in regional communities, and is a significant driver of our strong Tasmanian economy,” she said.

“The ABS data also confirmed the strength of our world-class agricultural sector that is highly sought after throughout the world, with the value of dairy products up by 43.3% and fruit and vegetables by 19.2% over the period.

Ms Petrusma said the positive results align with the government’s goal to boost Tasmania’s export trade in the coming decades.

“We will continue to do all we can to back these important sectors and ensure we can keep the momentum going, in line with our Tasmanian Trade Strategy that has set a target to grow the value of Tasmania’s export trade to $15 billion by 2050 by building the resilience, agility and perseverance of Tasmanian exporters.”