Market access

Market access for horticulture products to international markets is gained through negotiation between the Australian Government and the Governments of our trading partners. Hort Innovation’s role in these negotiations is via the administration of an independent panel that acts on behalf of the horticultural sector to provide transparent, unbiased and consistent market access advice to the Australian Government; the International Market Access Assessment Panel.

This page outlines the role and function of the panel, outlines the process Industries must follow and provides a portal for industries to make market access applications.

If you would like more information or if you are thinking of making an application, we encourage you to contact Mila Mila Bristow, General Manager Trade and Biosecurity R&D by email. Robust engagement between your industry and Hort Innovation ensures your industry will be in the best position to make a successful application to the panel.

International Market Access Assessment Panel (IMAAP)

The panel sits external to both Hort Innovation and the Australian Government. Guided by pre-defined criteria, the panel evaluates each application on its own merit to determine if export of the product to an international market can be approved. The evaluation criteria can be downloaded from the link below and is also in the information handbook.

Applications approved by the panel will be passed to the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the Department) for consideration and potential escalation to future international trade negotiation. In this manner, the panel acts only as an advisory mechanism to the government. The nature of international negotiations mandate that the department consider broader national interests which may not always align with a successful market access request.  

The IMAAP process 

Eligibility criteria 

Requests can originate from businesses, industry bodies or state and territory government departments and all applications must meet the following criteria:

• The Australian Government is the appropriate body to address the request.
• Is based on a detailed business plan
• The application is prioritised in an industry export strategy (for new market access)
• Data to satisfy phytosanitary or other technical requirements has been developed and is available (if relevant to the application)
• The application is supported by and is inclusive of the broader national industry
• The industry is export-ready, and this has been clearly evidenced in an accompanying detailed business plan.

Hort Innovation will undergo a preliminary assessment of your application to ensure that it fulfills the eligibility criteria. More information on the eligibility criteria and process can be found in the information handbook. 

International Market Access Assessment Panel

Documents

International Market Access Assessment Panel: Handbook & application template (PDF)

New market access or strategic application form (Word document)

Improved market access application form (Word document)

Information and enquiries

For more information or enquiries about IMAAP, contact Mila Bristow, General Manager Trade and Biosecurity R&D by email.