New South Wales dominates Australia's services exports. The State provides 41% of all services exports from Australia and is the nation’s premier tourist destination, largest exporter of financial, computer and other business services, as well as a centre for international learning and business.

New South Wales is well positioned to benefit from the liberalisation of bilateral goods and services trade. Australia has free trade agreements with the United States, Thailand, Singapore and New Zealand, and is currently considering agreements with other countries including Japan, China, Malaysia, Korea, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Australia was ranked as the eleventh most attractive destination in the world for foreign direct investment (FDI) in A.T. Kearney's 2007 FDI Confidence Index survey. The total stock of foreign investment in Australia topped $1.5 trillion as at June 2007. Over the past five years, the world's investment in Australia has grown by over 80%, with foreign direct investment expanding by almost 50%. New South Wales is now home to 45% of the top 500 companies in Australia and is the registered office of almost 60% of foreign companies and foreign subsidiaries in Australia, reflecting the State's advantages as a place to do business.

Sydney is an important regional financial hub in the Asia Pacific. The Australian Securities Exchange, based in Sydney, is the first major market to open each day and is the eleventh largest in the world. In 2006-07, total turnover across all of Australia's financial markets reached $120 trillion, a 20% increase on the previous year. Australia has the fourth largest managed investment market in the world, which has attracted many global funds management companies to Sydney. 


D - Trade and Investment