New Retail Industry Group Formed in Australia
As of late last week, the Australian retail industry has a new advocate: the Australian Traders Group (ATG), a collection of many of the retail industry bodies in the nation. It brings together the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Australian Booksellers Association, Bicycle Industries Australia, Photo Marketing Association, Australian Music Association, Photo Imaging Council of Australia, Retail Cycle Traders Australia (Inc), Australian Toy Association, Australian Sporting Goods Association, Franchise Council of Australia and Snowsports Industries of Australia.
“Collectively, the ATG represents tens of thousands of retailers and suppliers, all of whom are advocating and lobbying for changes such as reducing the Low Value Imports Threshold (LVIT), counterfeit products, retail tenancy and other various tariffs, taxes and charges which put unnecessary regulatory burden onto Australian retailers and impede their ability to employ and meet modern consumer demand,” said ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman.
“The ARA has recently consulted with the industry bodies which now comprise the ATG to reduce the LVIT and close the GST loophole uncovered by an increase in online overseas imports. An increasing amount of Australian retailers operating online are on an unlevel playing field as a result of this loophole.”
The group came together after the Fair Imports Alliance saw such success with the LVT and decided that there were many more important issues they could better address together.
