40 years experience fostering German-Australian bilateral trade
Since its foundation in 1977 the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GAC) has become an important partner in fostering bilateral trade between Germany and Australia. The GAC maintains two offices one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. The governing body is the Council, which together with the Association of German Chambers in Berlin, appoints the Chamber's executives. Since 2011 Kristian Wolf is the Executive Director of the GAC and the elected President is currently Lucy Hughes Turnbull AO.
GAC’s mission is to facilitate connections between German and Australian businesses and we are the officially recognised focal point for contacts, information and expertise in both markets. Our vision is to help connect Germany and Australia through commerce and assist our clients to build and develop sustainable businesses. We promote both countries’ expertise whilst supporting our client’s needs. Our core values are Respect, Trust, Expertise and Flexibility.
At the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, we have almost forty years of experience and our competent team of experts and partners can deal with all facets of the Australian market. One of our main objectives is to advise German and Australian companies on market developments and to support them with the right market entry strategies to give newcomers the optimal chance of success.
The German-Australian Chamber provides a wide range of services for members and non-members alike, particularly for small and medium-sized companies. These services start with tailor made address lists and go right up to detailed market studies and business partner searches. We offer advice on setting up business within both Australia and Germany with services that include customs regulations information, assistance in sourcing employees or a complete business representation for very small start-ups.
Knowledge about specific market information is essential for companies looking to successfully expand their business into Germany or Australia. Our research is tailored to provide them with a better understanding of the German or Australian market for their product or service.
While Australia is a good export market for German businesses generally, a few industries have a particular need for German products and technologies. To help them fully take advantage of these opportunities, GAC’s Consulting Department “DEinternational” specialises in the following sectors:
- Food and Agriculture
- Education and Vocational Training
- Mining and Raw Materials
- Healthcare
- Environmental Technology
- Renewable Energy
- Energy Efficiency
The Chamber is also a membership-based organisation which offers an extensive networking platform for its member-companies. Our know-how combined with the expertise of our partners makes us a strong and competent partner for all business needs. In 2014 the GAC’s membership reached a total of some 370 companies, most of which are located in Australia. About half of these are Australian companies with business links to Germany and the remainder is largely German subsidiaries.
The members come from diverse industry backgrounds and membership is available to every company involved in business relations between Germany and Australia. The GAC offers three types of memberships: “Corporate”, “Group” and “Premium Partnership” to facilitate and multiply our business networks. All members receive invitations to networking events, luncheons, seminars and conferences. Furthermore they can present their business to other member companies through GAC’s extensive media offer including on and offline publications. Membership with the GAC allows companies the possibility of finding partners and clients as we as access to industry experts, trade associations and government departments in both countries.
