Exporters call for expansion and overhaul of ‘invaluable’ freight subsidy

Australian exporters are calling on the Federal Government to extend a freight subsidy they say is vital in keeping supply chains open and protecting their businesses.

The call to extend the International Freight Assistance Mechanism comes amid projections international travel will remain on hold for the rest of 2021.

Farmers and fishers that rely on the availability of cargo space on international flights to get produce to market have seen freight costs skyrocket and supply chains disrupted during the pandemic due to the lack of regular flights.

The IFAM scheme was introduced at the start of 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was subsequently extended to mid-2021 to reduce the impact on key supply…