Global trade can often feel removed from the day-to-day realities of running an automotive business. A shipping lane closes. A conflict escalates. A tariff is announced. A container is delayed.

Stuart Charity, Chief Executive Officer

Yet for the automotive aftermarket, these events can quickly become local issues. They affect the availability of parts, freight costs, workshop margins, consumer confidence and ultimately the cost of keeping Australia’s vehicles safely on the road.
That is why automotive trade and supply chain resilience have been front of mind for AAAA.
Over recent months, we have been engaging with government on the pressures facing our sector, including through discussions with the Minister for Trade. These conversations matter because the aftermarket sits at the intersection of transport, small business, manufacturing, retail, repair, logistics, and consumer affordability.
As part of our engagement, the AAAA has a seat at a round table with the Minister for Trade, the Honourable Don Farrell. My involvement ensures our industry’s interests are represented while also helping us stay informed and respond quickly to emerging developments.
The recent instability in the Middle East has been a useful reminder of how quickly global events can flow through to our sector. Even where the immediate pressure on oil prices appears to ease, the underlying exposure does not disappear. Shipping routes remain vulnerable. Fuel markets remain sensitive. Freight and insurance costs can shift quickly. Businesses that rely on imported inputs can find themselves dealing with uncertainty that was not built into their cost base.
One area we are watching closely is the supply of specialist oils and lubricants, including synthetic lubricants. These products are not optional extras. They are essential to modern vehicle servicing, emissions performance, warranty compliance and consumer safety. As vehicles become more technically complex, the right lubricant, fluid or specialist product becomes even more important.
The same is true across the broader aftermarket supply chain. Many parts, tools, chemicals, diagnostics and components rely on global production networks. Disruption does not always mean a product disappears entirely. Sometimes it means it becomes more expensive, arrives later, or becomes harder for smaller businesses to secure on reliable terms.
That has real consequences.
A workshop cannot complete a job without the right part. A consumer cannot always defer a repair. A fleet cannot simply park vehicles indefinitely. A regional business may not have the same access to alternative suppliers as a metropolitan operator. And when cost pressures compound – fuel, rent, wages, freight, finance and insurance – the impact is felt across the whole service and repair economy.
Fuel prices add another layer. When petrol and diesel prices rise, consumers reassess how, when and how much they drive. Some trips are unavoidable, particularly in regional Australia and outer suburbs where public transport alternatives are limited. But higher fuel prices still affect household budgets, business costs and consumer behaviour.
For the aftermarket, this creates a complex picture. Fewer kilometres can mean some servicing and maintenance is deferred. But older vehicles, cost-of-living pressures and the need to maintain reliable transport can also increase demand for affordable, independent repair. In that environment, the role of the aftermarket becomes even more important.
Australia’s automotive aftermarket has proven many times that we are adaptable, resilient and deeply connected to the needs of motorists and businesses. But resilience is not accidental. It depends on strong supplier relationships, competitive markets, sensible trade settings, access to information, and government recognition of the essential role our sector plays.
As an association, AAAA will continue to make that case.
We need policy makers to understand that automotive trade is not just about new vehicle imports or headline manufacturing announcements. It is also about the thousands of businesses that keep Australia’s existing vehicle fleet safe, productive and affordable to run.
When the global trading environment shifts, the aftermarket feels it. And when the aftermarket is supported, Australian consumers, businesses and communities are better protected from those shocks.