On 13th March, 2025, Attis Credit Solutions and the FDEA were joined by experts from Atradius for an insightful session on the opportunities and challenges for businesses looking to export to Australia.
The food and drinks sector: An economic overview.
The session opened with an economic update from Pedro Peres, Atradius’ risk underwriter in food, agriculture, and drinks specialist. He outlined the current market landscape and expectations for 2025:
“Sales for the food and drink sector should reach 133 billion Australian dollars this year, and the sector is expected to grow 4.3% in 2025, so that’s well above the forecasted 2.3% inflation.”
Pedro highlighted how inflation and cost-of-living pressures are driving consumers towards cheaper alternatives, impacting UK exporters targeting premium price points.
The alcohol sector was another key focus, with Pedro explaining:
“Sales of alcoholic drinks should grow 4.6% to 30 billion Australian dollars, and that outpaces the volume growth of just 1%, as consumers are trading up to higher-value drinks.”
“A large number of manufacturers have committed up to 30% of their portfolio to zero or low alcohol options, as these become very popular as well.”
He advised UK exporters to carefully position themselves in a highly concentrated market, where just two major retailers control 80% of grocery sales. He also stressed the importance of financial planning and assessing buyer creditworthiness before entering the market.
The Paper and Packaging sector.
The discussion then shifted to the paper and packaging sector, with Junie Soe, senior underwriter for retail, packaging, and paper services, highlighting how the industry’s evolving sustainability regulations impact exporters:
“The two sectors go hand in hand. It’s a little bit like a marriage of our two sectors. You can’t just ignore the other sector when it comes to trends.”
She explained that Australia is rapidly moving towards a circular economy with strict packaging regulations:
“One thing to keep in mind is Australia is moving quite fast towards a circular economy. So that means reduce, reuse, and recycle.”
By 2025, 70% of plastic packaging must be recyclable, compostable, or reusable, making sustainable packaging a major consideration for exporters.
Junie also warned that varied sustainability laws across Australian states mean businesses must research regional differences before entering the market.
Sustainability Challenges & Opportunities for Exporters
Pedro expanded on sustainability concerns, highlighting new greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements that could increase admin work for exporters:
“And in 2026, to supply chain participants as well, such as farmers, transportation companies, et cetera, so suppliers may be indirectly pressured to provide emission data and that might increase admin work at first.”
He also noted that UK exporters may already have an edge in sustainability:
“A great example is a blueberry farm in Australia switching to compostable cardboard punnets. And funny enough, they had this idea when they were living in England for six years. When they came back, they realised how difficult it was to avoid plastic when buying fresh produce in Australia.”
Pedro also explains that 70% of rejected food imports coming into Australia are due to labelling issues like incomplete ingredient lists, nutritional information, and details.
Junie reinforced that businesses failing to meet packaging regulations may face significant challenges, but those investing in sustainability could gain a competitive advantage in the market.
How a specialist credit insurance broker can help.
Scott Liddle, Client Director at Attis Credit Solutions, explained the critical role of a broker in supporting exporters, particularly in managing credit risk:
“For a business in the UK exporting to Australia, which is on the other side of the world, it can be difficult to get financial data on the creditworthiness of the companies they’re looking to trade with. Each export market comes with its own intricacies.”
Scott highlighted how insurers like Atradius provide live, non-public financial data to help businesses assess buyers before trading.
Beyond credit risk, he outlined how credit insurance supports financing solutions, such as invoice discounting:
“Funders will lend against the insurer’s credit limit and may even offer more competitive rates, knowing the debt is insured.”
He also emphasised the importance of debt collection services for exporters:
“Anyone who has tried to collect a debt from the UK to say Australia knows it’s really quite difficult. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and the good thing about a lot of the in-house collections is that the cost is indemnified by the insurer. So the cost to our client at the end of the day is minimal.”
“Atradius has local collection offices all over the world. As anyone that has tried to collect an export debt knows, it can be tricky and expensive to say the least. So that local market knowledge is key.”
Real-World Examples & First Steps for Exporters
Scott shared experiences from Attis’ existing clients, reinforcing how quickly financial situations can change and how credit insurance protects cash flow:
“We’ve seen first-hand how quickly situations can change.”
He noted that Atradius Collections is now one of the largest collections company in the world, providing valuable local expertise:
“Having local collection offices in key markets means they understand the legal and cultural challenges of collecting international debts.”
Finally, Scott provided advice for businesses considering exporting to new territories, emphasising the importance of early engagement with a broker:
“The first step is sitting down for an initial meeting to assess what type of goods you’re exporting, into which markets, and what payment terms you’re offering. From there, we can approach insurers, structure a tailored credit insurance programme, and ensure the right support is in place to help businesses trade with confidence.”
If you have any questions related to your specific industry and for the full recording, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Scott.Liddle@AttisCS.com or Kelly.Chowdhury@AttisCS.com