Home topics small-business-resources growth-import-export Growing Growth | Import | Export Growing NT: An exporter’s dream Adeline Teoh November 13, 2008 It’s boom time in the Top End, but there’s more to the region than mineral resources and red dust. Find out why the Northern Territory is export territory. “The Northern Territory is a net exporter: its exports exceed imports, which is not necessarily the case in other parts of Australia,” says David Knapton, Austrade’s manager for the Northern Territory. The reason? Energy and mineral resources such as liquefied natural gas, uranium, aluminium, iron ore and gold have contributed to the region’s success. Although resources revenue gives the NT a healthy position in the global market, the divide between big business and SMEs has grown, causing a few labour problems, says Knapton. “If you’re in the small business sector, you’re struggling because you can only offer so much money, whereas if you’re a mining company and getting good demand for your product, you force the price of labour up.” Knapton believes the consequences of the bigger companies taking the export limelight means smaller businesses are discouraged from exporting, concentrating instead on the flourishing domestic market. “Small companies are saying: ‘I can make a lot of money here now, whereas if I export it takes longer and there’s a lot of effort, it’s harder, it costs more,’ so they tend to put export on the backburner,” he explains. “I’d encourage businesses to take a longer term approach; the smart companies are looking