South Australia produces 70% of the country’s premium wine, and Canberra is keen on more excise duty cuts as India is seen as an important market for the beverage.
“A key benefit for South Australia has been access to more Indian goods, providing more choice for South Australian businesses and consumers,” Adamson said.
India and Australia are currently negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). This is expected to further boost bilateral goods trade which was around $25 billion in FY25.
“India is certainly seen as an important market, perhaps more important in future than it is now, but that will depend on the outcome of the negotiations,” she said on higher wine exports to India.
Post ECTA, exports of Indian rice to South Australia have surged 200% and those of vehicles are up 135%.”In fact, India’s exports to Australia as a whole have increased 9% since the ECTA entered into force (which) is a faster rate than India’s exports globally,” she said. South Australia’s exports of horticultural products to India rose 15%, machinery parts increased 11%, and wine grew 23% to AUD 8.6 million after the trade pact. Australia was India’s largest market for wine imports with a 33% share of the imported wine market. “Now we would love to grow that, but to grow substantially, I think would probably require reductions in excise duties,” she said.
Exports of almonds from South Australia in the 12 months to April 2025 were AUD 21.5 million, an increase of 124%, while that of citrus fruits grew 22% to AUD 2.4 million.
Content Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com