According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey of the Australian exporter community, more than 86% of Australian exporters are either small- or medium-sized enterprises, confirming previous research that showed SMEs to be the engine room of the economy. New research undertaken by Austrade and Sensis has revealed Australian SMEs are now becoming a critical part of the exporter community, with about 13% of SMEs heavily exporting products. So who are our small players? Where do they live, what do they do and where do they sell to? According to Australian Trade Commission chief economist Tim Harcourt, most Australian SME exporters (15%) hail from NSW, backed closely by Victoria at 14% and the Northern Territory at 13%. Queensland SMEs account for 11% of the Australian SME sector, only slightly ahead of Tasmania with 10% and South Australia on 9%.
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