This newsletter was originally sent to our 7,000+ subscribers on 24 June 2025. Get future quarterly insights delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing below.
Welcome to the winter edition of Globally Connected, coming to you from the lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation.
While many Victorian businesses are navigating changes in the international trade environment, the Global Victoria team remains your partner in supporting your export growth. Our specialists span 23 Victorian Government Trade and Investment (VGTI) offices worldwide and provide the global connections and local expertise often needed for successful market entry.
The newly released Victorian Food and Fibre Export Performance Summary 2023-24 reaffirms Victoria as Australia's leading food and fibre exporter, capturing an impressive 27% of the national total and delivering $20.1 billion in exports, and achieving our 2030 target six years ahead of schedule. This outstanding performance reflects the resilience and innovation of our farmers, producers and food and beverage manufacturers who continue to excel in competitive global markets.
Within this success story, Southeast Asia stands out as a region of growing strategic importance for Victorian exporters. We share strong growth potential, close proximity, economic complementarities, and a mutual drive to diversify trade. The region continues to be a cornerstone of Victoria's export success, representing our second-largest regional market with $4.4 billion in food and fibre exports.
While we've seen some softening in wheat demand from markets like Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, what's impressive is the region's underlying strength and diversity. Vietnam grew its imports from Victoria by 9% to $686 million, and the Philippines delivered exceptional growth of 38% to $594 million.
This reminds us why Southeast Asia's 11-country spread, from Indonesia to Vietnam, offers valuable opportunities for our exporters. Each market brings its own dynamics and growth potential, providing natural diversification and multiple entry points for Victorian businesses.
Under the leadership of Commissioner Naïla Mazzucco and newly appointed Deputy Commissioner for Southeast Asia, Aaron Williams, Global Victoria is strengthening its impact across the region. Our VGTI offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, supported by our in-market specialists are helping Victorian businesses tap into local knowledge and unlock new opportunities. These recent successes are just a glimpse of the broader impact we're driving across Southeast Asia.
Our commitment to Southeast Asia is demonstrated through targeted trade initiatives throughout 2025. We supported 27 Victorian wineries at Vinexpo Asia and showcased 29 food and agricultural exporters at Food and Hotel Asia, facilitating nearly 100 strategic buyer introductions.
Most recently, our Melbourne-based Inbound Buyer Mission connected over 65 Victorian companies with senior buyers from Cold Storage Singapore and Jaya Grocer Malaysia, resulting in 31 direct supplier pitches. These efforts are part of our broader program that has already supported over 150 Victorian food and beverage companies to build export capabilities and strengthen their presence in this vital region.
As the diverse Southeast Asia economies continue to develop and consumer preferences evolve, I'm confident of exciting prospects ahead for our state's agribusinesses who can deliver the quality and reliability that Victorian agriculture is known for. Beyond agriculture, Victoria's expertise spans multiple high-growth sectors in Southeast Asia.
Our Melbourne team recently connected 7 Indonesian FinTech leaders with 7 pioneering Victorian companies for cross-border collaboration discussions.
Beauty, Wellness and Personal Care (BWPC) is a sector showing strong regional growth. Our recent inbound mission facilitated over 60 business matching meetings between buyer groups from 5 Southeast Asian countries and Victoria's leading BWPC companies.
International education remains a strategic relationship with the region and a key service export. The numbers speak to Victoria's strength in this sector. For example, with 16,643 Malaysian students enrolled in Victorian institutions in 2024, our state attracts over 27% of all Malaysians studying abroad, making Victoria Australia's most popular destination for Malaysian students.
Last month, Commissioner Mazzucco welcomed Indonesia's new Consul-General Designate to Melbourne during his visit to our Jakarta VGTI office. Their discussion reaffirmed the strength of Victoria's relationship with Indonesia, including our sister-state ties with Yogyakarta and West Java, and partnerships like the Australia–UK joint education campus in Bandung – a collaboration between Deakin University and Lancaster University that reflects our shared interests.
We're also committed to supporting Victorian women in Southeast Asian markets through our Global Victoria Women (GVw) initiative. Commissioner Mazzucco recently shared her strategic vision for strengthening Victoria's trade and investment ties with Southeast Asia at a networking event connecting women entrepreneurs and business leaders.
