For Australian producers and manufacturers, China is the ultimate goal - the vast potential market where the upper limit seems limitless and the sales possibilities are endless.
Family company A. H. Beard has been manufacturing bedding in Australia since 1899 and started exporting high-quality mattresses and bases to China three years ago. The venture has been successful and has a very positive outlook for the future, says Allyn Beard, co-owner of the company with his brother Garry, and deputy chairman of the Australian Made board of directors. "The number of container loads has doubled each year," he says. 
Mr Beard says it has been quite a long process getting to this point, and it is crucial to have the right retail partner. His company had something of an advantage when former prime minister John Howard agreed to launch the products in Shanghai. "His profile there is huge, so that helped. It certainly raised our status with the Chinese consumers."
Mr Beard says the Australian Made logo is very important to export customers and, in the early days of negotiation, he was required to give absolute assurance that the green and gold triangle would appear on products. There were also detailed questions about materials used and A. H. Beard was required to supply proof of their provenance.
Mr Beard believes that one of the beneficial aspects of overseas expansion is the upskilling of the Australian workers.
"In China, we are competing with all of the very best bedding brands in the world, so we have to provide a very high-quality product," he says. "I don't believe the free trade agreement will cause jobs to be lost. Expansion into China will create more work here in Australia."
Premium Australia Foods (PAF) is a marketing initiative that brings together e-commerce specialists and Australian food and beverage producers to sell Australian products into Asia.
PAF has been trading in China for two years, operating online and from an office in Shanghai where the company employs eight staff.
Chris Morley, managing director of PAF, says Australia is recognised in China as a leading source of top-quality, safe food. "The only way we justify our price premiums is through this image and, as a nation, we must continue to perform in three key areas - protect our biosecurity and disease-free status; continue to promote 'brand Australia'; and develop the best possible consumer insights and traceability systems."
In these early days of PAF, the company is concentrating on shelf-stable foods and has been successful with Red Island Olive Oil, Charles Cookies and the children's organic snack brand, Whole Kids. Next year, PAF plans to start exporting red meat to China along with dairy foods, seafood, lamb and, later on, summer fruits. The company is currently working with 20 Australian food brands.
Customers are the emerging middle-class who want a secure protein supply, and affluent consumers who simply want the best food they can buy.
Mr Morley says that finding paths to Chinese consumers is complex and requires a great deal of patience. "Nearly every brand that enters China starts from zero in terms of market acceptance and getting there can be a long process. With this in mind, we target brands and producers that we feel match our understanding of the market."
ahbeard.com.au
thepathtoasia.com.au