Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
A member of the Australian Cabinet, he is responsible for four government agencies in a portfolio that employs more than 7,000 officials and has a combined annual budget exceeding AUD 6 billion.
Minister Ciobo is pursuing the most ambitious trade agenda in Australia’s history. Since becoming Trade Minister in February 2016 he has concluded four trade agreements covering 19 countries. The trade agreements concluded, or currently being negotiated, by Minister Ciobo cover economies that account for more than 61 per cent of the world’s GDP. Minister Ciobo is developing a Single Window for International Trade to put technology and business at the heart of making exporting easier. And, together with his Japanese and Singaporean counterparts, he is leading work on a plurilateral agreement on digital trade with more than 80 members of the World Trade Organisation.
As Investment Minister, Minister Ciobo engages with the international investment community to promote and facilitate foreign investment into Australia. Since his appointment, the total stock of foreign investment has risen by more than $233 billion. In his previous role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Minister Ciobo assessed more than 800 applications for business investment under Australia’s foreign investment framework.
Minister Ciobo has delivered record revenue for Tourism Australia, allowing the agency to promote Australia overseas like never before. The Australian tourism industry is welcoming a record number of tourists who are staying longer and spending more. In 2018 he introduced the Boosting Business Events Bid Fund to target one of the highest yielding segment of the tourism sector.
This is Minister Ciobo’s fourth front bench role. He also served as a Shadow Minister in the Nelson, Turnbull and Abbott Oppositions. Minister Ciobo has previously served as Australia’s Alternate Governor to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Before entering the Australian Parliament as the Federal Member for Moncrieff in 2001 Minister Ciobo built a professional career as an executive in the economic reform unit at international firms Coopers & Lybrand and, later, PricewaterhouseCoopers. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from Bond University, as well as a Master of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology.
Minister Ciobo is married with two children.