The trade relationship, in actual numbers
The US and Australia signed the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) in 2004; it entered into force on 1 January 2005. Two decades later, two-way trade in goods and services reached approximately USD $80 billion in 2023. The US runs a services surplus with Australia; Australia runs a goods surplus with the US, exporting resources, agricultural products, and specialised manufactured goods.
For Australian SMEs, the practical benefit of AUSFTA is zero or reduced tariffs on most goods categories. Services trade is governed by national treatment provisions. Neither eliminates the procurement registration requirements US corporations impose on suppliers regardless of country of origin.
Which US certifications are available to Australian businesses
This is where most guides mislead people, so let's be direct.
Certifications that require a US legal entity:
- SBA 8(a) program (requires US citizenship and US-based business)
- HUBZone (requires US-based principal office and employees)
- WOSB/EDWOSB (Women-Owned Small Business) through SBA — requires the business to be a US small business concern
- SDVOSB through VA (requires veteran status and US entity)
If you are operating solely from Australia with no US subsidiary, none of the US government small business set-aside programs apply to you. That is the honest answer.
Certifications that are genuinely accessible to Australian businesses:
WEConnect International is the clearest path for women-owned businesses. Unlike SBA WOSB, WEConnect certifies women-owned businesses globally. The certification is recognised by over 120 corporate members including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Accenture, and Caterpillar — all of which have Australian operations. Annual fee is USD $350 for businesses with revenue under USD $1 million, scaling to USD $1,500 for larger firms. The application requires proof of 51% women ownership and control, two years of financials, and a site visit or verification call.
Supply Nation certification (for Indigenous Australian-owned businesses) is recognised by a growing number of US multinationals operating in Australia: BHP, Rio Tinto, and their US-headquartered supply chain partners. Colgate-Palmolive, Sodexo, and Johnson & Johnson have each referenced Supply Nation credentials in their Australian supplier diversity reporting. This is a market access credential for the Australian operations of US companies, not for selling into the US domestic market.
The US SAM.gov registration question:
Any business wanting to sell to US federal agencies — not just bid on set-aside contracts, but any federal procurement — must register in SAM.gov (System for Award Management). Australian businesses can register. You will need a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier), which is assigned free through SAM.gov. DUNS is no longer required. Registration is free and takes 7-10 business days. This gives you a procurement identity in the US federal system, which some large prime contractors also use to verify suppliers.
WEConnect International: the practical path for women-owned businesses
WEConnect has 36 country chapters. Australia falls under the WEConnect International Asia-Pacific network, though certification is issued centrally. The certification identifies your business in their global supplier database, which corporate buyers search when trying to meet supplier diversity spend targets.
The process: apply at weconnectinternational.org, submit documentation, complete a verification interview. Once certified, your business appears in the WEConnect supplier database with category tags, NAICS codes (more on those below), and contact details.
Several US corporations with Australian operations actively use this database to source locally while meeting global supplier diversity commitments. JPMorgan Chase Australia, Goldman Sachs Australia, and Amazon Australia have each run supplier diversity programs referencing WEConnect certification. Accenture Australia has a published target of 20% diverse supplier spend and participates in WEConnect events in Sydney.
For women-owned Australian businesses targeting these buyers, WEConnect certification is the single most direct credential to hold.
Registering in US corporate supplier portals as a non-US vendor
The three platforms that dominate US corporate procurement are SAP Ariba, Coupa, and Jaggaer. Each allows non-US vendor registration with some nuances.
SAP Ariba Network: Registration is free at supplier.ariba.com. You create a supplier profile, enter your business details, and can connect to any buying organisation that uses Ariba. Tax ID fields accept non-US identifiers — enter your ABN in the tax ID field with "Australia" selected as country. Ariba's discovery feature lets buyers find you by commodity code (they use UNSPSC codes, not US NAICS codes). Priority: get your UNSPSC codes right.
Coupa: Coupa's supplier portal is accessed through an invitation from a buying organisation, or via the Coupa Business Network at coupa.com/suppliers. As a non-US vendor, you register without a US EIN — select Australia as your country and enter ABN. Payment terms and currency can be set to AUD or negotiated per contract. Coupa is used heavily in financial services: Goldman Sachs, Citi, and several insurance carriers run procurement through Coupa.
Jaggaer: Common in defence, manufacturing, and higher education. Registration at jaggaer.com/supplier-network. Non-US vendors enter local tax identifiers. Caterpillar runs procurement through Jaggaer; given Caterpillar's significant mining equipment presence in Australia, this is a relevant portal for Australian industrial suppliers.
Practical action for each portal: - Register with your ABN as the tax identifier - Use UNSPSC codes (not NAICS) for commodity classification - Set your country to Australia, currency to AUD or USD depending on how you invoice - Upload company overview, capability statement, and relevant certifications (WEConnect, ISO, etc.) - Complete all diversity fields — this is how supplier diversity teams find you when they need to source from Australia
AUKUS: the defence supply chain opportunity
AUKUS, signed September 2021, is the most significant structural shift in Australia-US-UK defence procurement in decades. The nuclear-powered submarine pathway under Pillar 1 and the advanced capabilities work under Pillar 2 (AI, quantum, hypersonics, electronic warfare, cyber) both require deep industrial integration across the three countries.
For Australian SMEs, the immediate access point is the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) in Australia, which is a prerequisite for most defence contract work. On the US side, Australian companies with DISP clearance can seek inclusion in US defence prime contractor supply chains.
The primes with the most active Australian engagement: Lockheed Martin Australia (has a local entity and an active Australian supplier program), BAE Systems Australia, L3Harris Australia, and Northrop Grumman Australia. Each runs a local supplier portal or supplier registration process.
Lockheed Martin's supplier registration is at lockheedmartin.com/en-us/suppliers.html. They accept non-US suppliers and explicitly note AUKUS program participation as a qualifying context for Australian businesses. L3Harris has a supplier portal at l3harris.com/about/suppliers.
The Australian Government's Defence Industry Development Strategy, published February 2024, allocated AUD $1 billion to grow sovereign industrial capability. Several of those funded programs involve US prime contractors as technology partners — which creates subcontract opportunities for Australian firms with the right capabilities and clearances.
What US companies are actually buying from Australian businesses
Mining and resources equipment and services: Caterpillar, Komatsu (US-listed), and Hexagon (Mining division) all source locally in Australia. Specialised mining services, precision engineering, safety equipment, and environmental monitoring solutions are active procurement categories.
Financial services technology and consulting: JPMorgan Chase Australia, Citigroup Australia, and Goldman Sachs Australia buy technology services, risk management consulting, and regulatory compliance services locally. The Australia-specific regulatory environment (APRA, ASIC compliance) creates demand for local expertise that US internal teams cannot fully supply.
Cloud and technology services: Amazon Web Services Asia-Pacific (Sydney region), Microsoft Australia, and Google Cloud Australia each have local procurement budgets. Data residency requirements under Australian Privacy Act amendments create demand for locally-operated services even from global providers.
Professional services for multinationals: Accenture, Deloitte US (via Deloitte Australia), and IBM Australia all subcontract locally. If you provide a specialised service — ESG data, Indigenous engagement consulting, supply chain resilience work — these firms are buyers.
First steps, in order
- Register in SAM.gov to obtain a UEI. Free. Takes a week. Gives you a procurement identity in the US federal system and some corporate systems.
- Apply for WEConnect International certification if your business is 51%+ women-owned. This is the highest-ROI certification for Australian businesses targeting US corporate buyers. Budget USD $350-$1,500 per year.
- Register in SAP Ariba Network, Coupa Business Network, and Jaggaer supplier portals. Use ABN as tax identifier. Complete commodity classification with UNSPSC codes.
- Identify which US companies have Australian operations and active supplier diversity programs. WEConnect, Ariba Discovery, and the Business Council of Australia's US affiliate relationships are good starting points.
- If you are in defence or advanced technology, pursue DISP clearance in Australia and then contact the Australian country offices of Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, L3Harris, and Northrop Grumman directly about their supplier programs.
Setting up a US legal entity (typically a Delaware LLC or C-corp) unlocks the SBA certification programs and some government contract vehicles, but it is not a prerequisite for corporate supply chain access. Many Australian businesses begin selling to US corporations through portal registration and WEConnect before deciding whether US entity formation makes economic sense.
The barrier to entry is lower than most Australian businesses assume. The friction is administrative, not structural.
