The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations collectively has emerged as Australia’s second-largest trading partner with Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore all key markets, and south Asia, led by India, also a huge opportunity increasingly being cashed in on. But there is much more to be done.

In 2017-18, Australia's two-way trade with ASEAN countries was $110 billion according to recent figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Bearing this in mind, the opportunity remains substantial and largely untapped.