Investment and Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith will seek to build on South Australia’s recent export momentum at the Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting in Cairns today.

Mr Hamilton-Smith will represent South Australia at the national forum and engage with the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments on a collaborative approach to international economic engagement.

The forum will be chaired by the Federal Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, and attended by all state Ministers and senior trade and investment officers.

Mr Hamilton-Smith said a key focus of the forum will be the consistent and coordinated “Team Australia” approach to branding at international trade shows and missions.

“The State Government recognises that the State’s ongoing prosperity depends on our national and international connections and alliances,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“This meeting will help identify how South Australian businesses can benefit from the new Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement.”

Mr Hamilton-Smith said South Australia has developed engagement strategies for the India and China markets, building on our established exports of agriculture, manufacturing and minerals.

“These strategies are providing a platform to identify other strong areas for shared growth such as natural resources, education and training, aerospace and defence, water, and technology,” he said.

“With these strategies firmly established and achieving results, the State Government is now directing attention to engagement with the South East Asia region.”

South Australia’s trade relationship with South East Asia is growing at an impressive rate, with $1.8 billion worth of goods exported in 2012/13, an average annual increase of 9 percent since 2008/09.”

South Australian exporters continue to prosper, with the latest trade statistics indicating that the State’s export growth had outpaced the national average for the tenth consecutive month.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics trade figures show overseas goods exported from