2008 IACC Trade Awards

Last month the IACC hosted their 2008 Trade Awards Reception. That includes trade with New Zealand and New Guinea as well. Around 150 guests filled the auditorium to applaud as honours were granted to an impressive array of businesses, traversing several industry groupings, covering the range of bilateral trade between Israel Australia and greater Oceania.
It could hardly be an IACC function if we didn’t heartily feast at another impressively catered spread of tables. But before the ingestion and networking we were updated on the trade scene by the guests of honour, from Fouad Ben-Eliezer (no intro needed) to James Larsen (Australian ambassador) and Gurion Meltzer (chairman IACC).
Did you know that in 1949-50 Australia exported $319,442 worth of mainly food items while imports from Israel were valued at just $32,490?
I learned that the main groupings of Australian Israeli bilateral trade are in water technology, agriculture hi tech and security. Some of the industries represented exporting from Israel are health care, plastics, agro technology, desalination, tools and components for the mining industry, defence, aviation stone and marble and diamonds. On the incoming side we import things like Australian kosher meat, education, gas, coal, wine, pharmaceuticals and cooling towers.
Today total trade between Australia and Israel stands at approximately 400 Million $US. Exports from Israel came to 270 Million $US, and export from Australia totalled approximately 127 Million $US.
But what I want to know is why?
Some of the considerations at play if you’re interested in bilateral trade between Australia and Israel are:
Australia is an attractive business location for Israeli companies, or so they say. But it’s so far away. It takes 2 ½ days to fly out there. But take heart, it’s only 1½ to get back. It’s all in the time zones.
Australia boasts a stable political system and high growth/low inflation economy and that it’s the third largest economy in Asia. A bit of continental shift there. That makes it a nucleus in the fastest growing region in the world. Geographical proximity to Asia and the shared time zones, make Australia an ideal base for opportunities in the Asia Pacific Region. Another advantage is that the cost of establishing a business in Australia is relatively low. Construction, commercial rental and other establishment costs and salaries for professional, management and skilled staff are competitive. (sorry if that sounds like a bit of double talk . I plagiarised that sentence) As we already know Australia offers a quality of life that is considered one of the best in the world, i.e. for Israeli businessmen looking to spend more quality time with customers down under. It also has a respected and established Jewish community, a variety of Jewish day schools.
In dealing with Australia, Israelis have to learn to understand Australian Mean Time. Israelis want things done right now when they want something done. They are used to thinking and acting within short time cycles and naively expect everybody else to adopt the same tempo. In Australia time is a much more relaxed affair. Australians like most other non-Israelis, prefer to take life a little easier – more “laid back” –last call isn't til 22:00 and tomorrow is another day.
But if Israeli businessmen can adapt to the time warp or is it wean themselves, they find Australians are informal, generally polite and importantly, reliable in interpreting contracts.
As we all ready know Israelis are direct. They tend to say what they are thinking (like on line) and aren’t shy about asking what they want to know. If you have the patience of a Freudian psychotherapist you won't necessarily perceive this straightforward attitude as rudeness. They may not have the polish of cultivated Western “manners” – but mean well (in their way).
Israelis are a casual people, a bit like Australians. They do not stand on ceremony and show an unparalleled level of offering a “helping hand”, hopefully not too coercively. They may well warmly invite you into their homes. On the other hand, they can occasionally be hot-tempered. Hopefully you won't have been exposed to a domestic altercation and/or it’s another brief storm with little substance, and everyone will get over it quickly.
On the upside Israelis often have quick decision-making abilities, willingness to take relatively high risks, well developed networking skills and flexibility. The word “Impossible” simply doesn’t exist in Israeli terminology. The Israeli never gives up. They have a great talent for improvisation, and will often help you find surprising solutions to problems. They are willing to work incredibly long hours (when working over seas). Therefore you will find they are available to you even after their official working hours and are happy to adapt themselves to the working hours of other countries.

So there you are if you’re not yet on a plane surfing the time zones. If you’re still here you can learn more if you’re on the IACC mailing list.