Today Show - Interview with Peter Stefanovic

JOURNALIST: It is an important morning for Australian business looking to expand overseas with the launch of the G'Day USA campaign. We are joined by foreign Julie Bishop who is at Sydney Airport this morning. This is a really important event to champion what is great about Australia this morning, right?

JULIE BISHOP : That is absolutely right, Pete. This is the 14th year of G'Day USA, which is a year-long series of events from the West Coast of the US to the East Coast sponsored by QANTAS, hence we are here at the airport, and it is an opportunity to showcase Australia's creative industries, everything from film and television, food, wine, fashion, design, music, art, education, sport, our defence industries. All of our industries are on show to one of the biggest markets in the world, the United States. And this year…

JOURNALIST: Sorry, go on.

JULIE BISHOP: And this year we will be honouring Australians who have made a massive contribution to the Australian-US relationship.

JOURNALIST: Why is that US market so important and is it as important as any other region?

JULIE BISHOP: There is no relationship more important to Australia than the United States. The United States is our region's security partner. They are our major defence partner. They are our largest source of foreign direct investment and our second largest trading partner. So we want to enhance our trade and investment links as well as the cultural and social ties between Australia and the United States and this program, G'Day USA, is a brilliant way to do it.

JOURNALIST: There is a new government coming in place in the United States early next year. What impact could the arrival of President Trump have on our interests in the United States?

JULIE BISHOP: We believe the relationship is strong and close and will endure whoever is in the White House, whoever is in The Lodge in Canberra. But we don't take this relationship for granted. That's why we nurture it and we work hard to enhance it at every level, politically, strategically, economically and culturally. With the new administration it gives us an opportunity to emphasise the importance of this relationship to Australia and to the United States.

JOURNALIST: How much of a concern is it the Australian dollar dipping the way it is at the moment when compared to the American dollar?

JULIE BISHOP: Well, this happens. We have a floating dollar and this happens from time to time, but importers and exporters can take advantage of it depending upon on the state of the dollar.

JOURNALIST: Foreign Julie Bishop, thank you for your time this morning.

JULIE BISHOP: My pleasure.