South Australia’s small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) no longer need be daunted by the complexity and cost of doing business in China, with a new scheme designed to showcase local goods and services in the heart of the country’s commercial district in Shanghai.

Business SA has joined its counterparts nationally to participate in the ‘Export Growth China’ program that will support businesses to have their products displayed and marketed in a high end showroom in the Shanghai international zone where many Chinese wholesale buyers are based.

Chief Executive Nigel McBride said China, with its population of 1.3 billion consumers and position as Australia’s number one export market, “has a strong appetite for our products and this program is designed to ensure that South Australian SMEs are able to capitalise on these opportunities”.

“Having a product showcased in the heart of Shanghai would normally be very expensive and out of reach of most SMEs but this program only charges a small fee for SMEs products to be included in the Australian Chamber’s showroom facility,” he said.

“If a product does generate interest from the Chinese market, we will then work with the South Australian company to help make their export dream a reality.

“Exporting can be time consuming and often daunting for SMEs, so this program is designed to offer lower risk and a lower cost option.”

Any member of a Chamber of Commerce throughout Australia is able to take advantage of ‘Export Growth China’, an important aspect of which is the provision of a report on the interest that a particular product or service has attracted after its six month rotation in the ‘Shanghai Mart’.

“Real time advice is vital to the success of exporting a product to China. Feedback on labelling or packaging or the ingredients in a product will be provided directly back to the South Australian business so changes can be made to help the successful sale of their product in China,” McBride said.

Export Growth China is an initiative of the Australian Chamber Movement and the program received funding from the Australian Government as part of the Asian Business Engagement plan.

McBride said Business SA is looking forward to the ‘Export Growth China’ Shanghai showroom being opened by the Premier Jay Weatherill after the trade mission to Shandong in late May.