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Posted by Caroline Tung
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15 May, 2026
DEPUTY premier and trade minister Guy Barnett has used his opening address to the International Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of Australia conference in Hobart to highlight the importance of international trade to Tasmania.
Welcoming hundreds of industry delegates to the IFCBAA annual conference, his opening address paid tribute to those who moved goods and services from the apple isle to global markets.
"The Tasmanian brand is clean, fresh, pure and natural, and we are selling it to the world," Mr Barnett said.
"I acknowledge the role of our freight forwarders and customs brokers, and those in between, to help make it all happen."
He spoke of a personal journey in freight and trade that began when he founded a small imports business partnership with his brother to fund their university education.
As students, the pair imported tables and chess sets from Taiwan to make ends meet during their studies.
It was in this context he learned the cost of shipping from Taiwan to Melbourne, and then across Bass Strait to Burnie.
Government policies such as the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Service (currently in review) and the publicly available federal trade strategy.
Mr Barnett said one of his roles was to ensure Tasmania was "treated equally like other parts of Australia".
“We’re an island state and I need to make that happen really well,” he said.
The Tasmanian state government plans to grow exports to$ 10 billion by 2050, and eventually doubling self-sufficiency.
“It’s been tough for Australia, but Tasmania is bucking the trend in recent years,” Mr Barnett said.
“{International customers] love our Tasmanian brand.”
