WA export confidence wanes

WA export confidence wanes

THE high Australian dollar has made Western Australian exporters more cautious in their outlook than their counterparts from the rest of Australia according to the DHL Export Barometer.

While almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of exporters nationally expect an increase in orders over the next 12 months, only 49 per cent of WA exporters expect an increase in orders over the same period.

According to the barometer WA is the least optimistic of all Australian States in both the short and medium-term, with 39 per cent expecting an increase in export orders in the next three months, and 49 per cent expecting an increase in orders over the next 12 months.

Despite this, 60 per cent of exporters in WA expect an increase in profitability over the next 12 months, 31 per cent expect an increase in staff numbers and 80 per cent an increase in staff wages.

Austrade chief economist Tim Harcourt said the exchange rate had hit the WA mining community very hard over the past 12 months.

“This has no doubt fostered a cautious sentiment among a large part of the State’s export community,” Mr Harcourt said.

“While a recurrence in the drought may further impact exporters on the wheat belt over the next year, new LNG projects to China will keep Western Australia in export revenue for generations to come.”