Australia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in australia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Selling to the Public Sector
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Selling to the Government & Procurement Standards

Under the USAFTA, U.S. suppliers are granted non-discriminatory rights to bid on contracts to supply Australian Government entities, including all major procuring entities and administrative and public bodies at the Commonwealth (federal), state, and territory levels. The Australian Government has restricted its use of selective tendering, ensuring U.S. suppliers have a fair opportunity to compete. 

However, U.S. companies must be aware of evolving compliance and social procurement frameworks. The Australian Modern Slavery Act requires entities operating in Australia with consolidated revenues over AU$100 million to submit annual statements on supply chain risks. Even smaller U.S. companies may be asked to provide Modern Slavery compliance statements or adhere to Indigenous Procurement Policies (which encourage local economic participation) when participating in government tenders or partnering with large Australian primes. 

AUKUS & Defense Procurement

With the ongoing development of the AUKUS security partnership, there is unprecedented momentum to integrate the defense industrial bases of the U.S., Australia, and the UK. U.S. firms offering capabilities in defense, advanced manufacturing, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence should closely monitor opportunities arising from AUKUS Pillar II. Companies can leverage mechanisms such as the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) to streamline engagement and navigate defense-specific procurement pathways. 

U.S. Government Advocacy 

U.S. companies bidding on Government tenders may also qualify for U.S. Government advocacy. A unit of the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, the Advocacy Center coordinates U.S. Government interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters bidding on public sector contracts with international governments and government agencies. The Advocacy Center works closely with our network of the U.S. Commercial Service worldwide and inter-agency partners to ensure that exporters of U.S. products and services have the best possible chance of winning government contracts. Advocacy assistance can take many forms but often involves the U.S. Embassy or other U.S. Government agencies expressing support for the U.S. bidders directly to the foreign government. Consult Advocacy for Foreign Government Contracts for additional information.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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