Exporters Blog

Abel Tasman

2012-02-17T12:27:00.001+13:00

Who's Abel Tasman I can hear you say? If you are a Kiwi you should know, if you are one of our valued international readers you can be forgiven. Here is a picture of the famous man:

and you can read more about him from the New Zealand Encyclopedia Te Ara at: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t17/1?keys=abel+tasman

In 1642 on 13 December in the ship Heemskerck Tasman sighted the north of the South Island of New Zealand beginning this country's long and very fruitful association with the Netherlands.
This year is the 370th anniversary of Tasman's exploration of New Zealand waters and the first recorded meeting with Maori. You can check out the website at: www.abeltasman370.com
In the year ended June 2011 our trade with the Netherlands ranked 21st after other European countries such as Germany (7th), Italy (13th), and France (18th). In the same statistical year New Zealand exported sheep meat products valued at 137,221 million NZ dollars to Holland. This was an amazing increase of 59.2% over the previous year. The next five top products after sheepmeat were: Aluminium, apples, pears and quinces, seeds, wine and onions!
On the other side of the ledger we imported food preparations, trucks and vans, retail medicines and pet food. In fact in the year ended June 2011 there was an enormous leap in the value of pet food imports from NZD$3 million to NZD$12 million!
For any exporters who are interested in trading with the Netherlands there is the Netherlands New Zealand Business Association NLNZBA see http://www.nlnzba.com/ . The connection started by Tasman in 1642 is obviously alive and well. You can also be a part of the celebrations by getting in contact with Penny Griffith the Coordinator of the 370th Commemoration at: abel.tasman.370@gmail.com

Women as Entrepreneurs and Exporters

2012-02-14T10:35:00.001+13:00

This month at the British Library in London, the Business & IP Centre is holding a Mothers of Invention 2012 night to celebrate International Women's Month. It features Christina Richardson, founder of The Nurture Network (Click here to read about Christina: http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/features/1094976/Week-Christina-Richardson-Nurture-Network/) and Rosie Wolfenden of perspex jewellery company Tatty Devine https://www.tattydevine.com/. Tatty Devine's jewellery is distributed worldwide and the brand is now a worldwide brand.
New Zealand has its own Mothers of Invention whom we should be feteing and celebrating. Since the British Library has highlighted a jewellery company, we can match that with Kagi - a company founded by Kat Gee and operated from Auckland. Kagi products are stocked in retail outlets throughout Australasia and online shoppers have access through the website at http://www.kagistyle.com/.
Other examples are: Becky Sharman and Amy Whetu with their range of children's clothes - see http://www.zeezee.com and Kim Hands producing children's graphics http://www.stickytiki.com/ and then there are the big guns in the ranks of women exporters such as Sarah Gibbs and Catherine de Groot of Trilogy, Jane Hunter of Hunter's Wines and Peri Drysdale of Snowy Peak Ltd. Their success is now legendary.
So let us celebrate our own New Zealand women exporters and entrepreneurs this month!

Sources:
Design the key for sparkling jewellery firm by Nick Churchouse IN Dominion Post February 16, 2009 p.C1
From Fimo to fine art jewellery by Rebecca Stevenson IN Dominion Post April 11, 2011 p.C2
Turning dreams into reality - an interview with Kat Gee IN New Zealand Business March 2011 pp.12-13

Doubling Exports: How Are We Doing? | Free Enterprise

2012-01-30T12:27:00.000+13:00

Doubling Exports: How Are We Doing? | Free Enterprise

This blogpost by John Murphy on the US site Free Enterprise contains some astonishing statistics which I don't think we need doubt the veracity of. It is indeed challenging to us in New Zealand to ask how much our own exports have increased in the same period? I don't have an answer for that.

However I can say that our neighbour Australia, like the US and Canada, is our top trading partner. Exports and imports in the period ended June 2010 were $17,435,650 millions. It is also significant that of our top ten trading partners five of them: Australia, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are countries with which we have an FTA arrangement. Trade with these partners accounts for well over half of New Zealand's trade - about 64%.

The ASEAN countries are New Zealand's fourth largest export market after the APEC countries, the OECD and the EU.

FTA Indonesia

2012-01-24T14:29:00.001+13:00

http://ets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=indonesia

Trade in fiction

2012-01-23T20:55:00.000+13:00

This summer holiday I have had the pleasure of doing a little more reading than usual.   I was given a new New Zealand novel (2011) at Christmas called Wulf by Hamish Clayton and subsequently I have begun reading David Mitchell's 2010 novel The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

Both are historical novels - the former set in the early 1830s as the tangata whenua (Maori people) began to meet and interact with European visitors.   While the novel's central focus is the Maori chief Te Rauparaha, it also explores the role the brig Elizabeth played in the massacre of Maori by Te Rauparaha and his followers on Banks Peninsula.   The raiding party were transported to the South Island in return for a load of flax - in other words trade was at the centre of the transaction. On p.94 we read a canny assessment by a Maori commentator: 'These spirits (Europeans) have hearts made of trade and iron.   For pigs' meat they'll pay tobacco, rum, and blankets.   For flax they'll pay muskets. Trade with them and you'll become a great chief...'

The first part of David Mitchell's novel is located on the 'island' of Dejima in the city of Nagasaki, Japan in 1799.   The raison d'etre for this artificial island and community is the trade between the Dutch East Indies Company and the Japanese.   Once again trade is a central thread: 'Vorstenbosch unlocks his desk and takes out a bar of Japanese copper. 'The world's reddest, its richest in gold and, for a hundred years the bride for whom we Dutch have danced in Nagasaki.'' p.34.   The Company needs to increase its trade otherwise the settlement in Batavia will fail and likely will be taken over by Britain.

Both novels give fascinating insights into the role played by trading activities - both historically as in these novels but also in our 21st century global environment when we reflect on the reasons why certain events have happened or why this or that international trade decision was taken.

Export people - key New Zealanders

2012-01-17T14:12:00.001+13:00

Last year I posted about Bill Buckley - exporter and New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year. The New Year Honours List has also highlighted the importance of export people in our country and given them some recognition for the crucial role they play in the economy.

This year Howard Wright and Brendan Lindsay - both exporters - have been made members of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Howard Wright's company Howard Wright Ltd manufactures and exports medical equipment from New Plymouth, while Brendan Lindsay, co-founder and owner of Sistema Plastics uses robotic technology to manufacture plastics products in Auckland. Congratulations to them both.

They are just two of the growing group of innovative, entrepreneurial and plain hard-working people who export from our country. You can find others by searching in the New Zealand School of Export's catalogue at:
http://ets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=export+people

Brendan Lindsay - photo from: http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/made-in-new-zealand-winning-formula-4232962
See also the DominionPost December 31, 2011 p.B4

New Zealand School of Export turns five!

2012-01-10T14:05:00.000+13:00

On 10 January 2007 the School's ancestor Export Training Services, started operations on a very small scale in Queen Street, Palmerston North.   Out of the foundations put in place by Export Training Services arose the New Zealand School of Export.   The School was officially opened on December 7, 2007 by the Honourable Steve Maharey, MP for Palmerston North. By then the School's operations had moved to its current premises at Aokautere Park, east of the City.
The flagship qualification offered by the School is the Diploma of International Trade and graduates of this course are currently working in companies in New Zealand and around the world.   In 2011 the Exporter Health Check was launched and has been very successfully used in two Taranaki companies.
While the economic downturn in New Zealand and global events have undoubtedly affected the School, it has cemented its place within export training in New Zealand.   Significantly the New Zealand School of Export remains the only New Zealand organisation to be accredited by IATTO - the International Association of Trade Training Organisations.
Congratulations to all staff, adjunct faculty, graduates and current students for their hard work and commitment over the last five years. Ad Multos Annos.

Message from the Director Dr Romuald Rudzki:
As we enter 2012, it is not only the 5^th anniversary of the New Zealand School of Export but also - on 21^st December 2012 - the Mayan prophecy for the end of time (the 13^th buktun). The first event is definitely happening, the second less definite, although both show a remarkable similarity in terms of the amount of time available to do things before the ‘Big Event’. Whatever happens, remember the old saying ‘Nobody lay on their death-bed wishing they had spent more time at the office.’ Best Wishes for a Very Happy and Peaceful Year!

Warm Christmas Greetings to Exportersblog Readers

2011-12-24T11:37:00.009+13:00

Christmas Greetings to all readers of this blog wherever you are. Since most of you are in the northern hemisphere I thought some pictures of warm flowers which we have flowering this Christmas might 'export' some warmth into your reading.
Thank you for continuing to read the posts I put up. On Thursday last I listened to a radio interview with the developer of the Read Write Web blog, Richard McManus. For those who may not be aware this blog was developed in Petone, New Zealand - Richard is a New Zealander - and has just been sold for ca US$5 million. Richard said that he was getting 5 million hits a month whereas Exportersblog is getting just over 800. Although paltry in comparison, it very worthwhile for me, and hopefully for those interested in international trade. I trust you will continue to dip in and see what I am thinking about and maybe in 2012 make a comment.
Certainly in New Zealand with all our political parties in the newly elected Parliament promising to grow the economy with 'export-led growth' - we can expect some new and exciting things to happen!?
I know that one of my presents this year is a Kindle - thank you to our American friends who have exported this e-reading technology around the world. At the moment it is tantalisingly wrapped and awaiting Christmas morning. It will be a Christmas of discovery for me - importing titles, getting used to the way it works, almost certainly sharing it with family for the first few days. In one of my early posts for 2012 I will let you know how I have been getting on.
In the meantime try to keep warm and enjoy these summer flowers from my garden in Palmerston North. Before Web 2.0 this kind of exporting was much less frequent - aren't we blessed with technological advances.
Best wishes to you all.

Chairs from Lower Hutt

2011-12-22T22:05:00.000+13:00

What do the ZAF chair, the LIFE chair, and the Be chair have in common? They have all been designed by New Zealand exporting company Formway which is based in Lower Hutt.

The New Zealand School of Export's file on Formway makes very interesting reading with three newspaper articles and one magazine article covering 2008-2011. In the earliest article the furniture maker had just been awarded the Outstanding Individual Award at the Design in Business Awards.   The company had made a ZAF chair for Prince Philip and a LIFE chair for both Steve Jobs and President Bill Clinton.
The next year 2009 seems to have been a roller-coaster year for Formway with the Be chair winning the Gold Award at the Neo-Con trade show in Chicago.   But just a month later the newspaper article from 1 August reports that the Unemployment axe falls on Lower Hutt companies. Formway was forced to shed 50 staff but decided to retain its design team.
This year in a survey article on 'design thinking' published in the New Zealand Listener (June 4), Formway features alongwith key NZ companies such as Gallagher, Pacific Aerospace, Howard Wright and Zeacom.   The author Rebecca Macfie reports that Formway's Be chair has generated $60 million in international sales since it was launched in 2009.
So what is this design thinking that had been so crucial to the success of these NZ companies?

The guru of design thinking is Tim Brown (Change by Design) and it is about using intensive observation - of customers and potential customers, work and social patterns, and global trends - to uncover latent needs, and applying teamwork, experimentation and expertise to figure out ways to meet them.

Creative design is becoming a key feature of New Zealand's export products and this blog has earlier posted on the innovatove lighting firm David Trubridge Ltd.

Formway's website is at: http://www.formway.com/ and is well worth looking at with two fascinating case studies.

The Be or Knoll Chair - Image source: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/136/in-the-hot-seat.html

Export Bank for New Zealand?

2011-12-13T14:19:00.000+13:00

In the latest issue of the Exporter (November/December 2011), the Director of the New Zealand School of Export, Dr Romuald Rudzki floats the idea of an export bank for New Zealand. He says:
'What we need is a comprehensive economic plan founded on an export-based economy. One which includes all the essentials such as the use of the Superannuation Fund to invest in New Zealand export companies..., an Export Bank that has a different view than the ludicrously high interest rates of the Reserve Bank, more funding for NZTE both here and abroad, and major tax breaks for income earned overseas.' (p.43)

Dr Rudzki says that many countries have an export bank which specialises in support for the exporter. Four examples of countries that have an export bank are:
Turkey - Turk Eximbank at: http://www.eximbank.gov.tr/eng/
Malaysia - EXIM Bank of Malaysia at: http://www.exim.com.my/
USA - Export-Impport Bank of the the United States at: http://www.exim.gov
Vietnam - Vietnam EXimbank at: http://www.eximbank.com.vn/

Since the private sector banks in New Zealand don't see a role for themselves in this area, Dr Rudzki suggests that Kiwibank could become the bank for exporters. Food for thought for both government and the banking industry here in New Zealand....

IATTO Forum Chengdu, China 2011 - more

2011-11-29T14:21:00.000+13:00

Pandas at Chengdu – Photo by Dr Romuald Rudzki November 5, 2011. A visit to the Pandas at the Panda Breeding Center was a lighter but enjoyable moment for participants in the IATTO Forum in Chengdu, China.

The Forum was very successful and the Chinese hosts at the Nordic International Management Institute ensured that the event was enjoyed by all (including the five banquet meals and displays of dancing).

Dr Rudzki found the programme very stimulating and when pressed for a highlight opted for the paper by Anu-Mall Naarits of the Estonian Marketing Institute entitled How to revolutionize exports? The case of Estonia.

The changes made in Estonia included a new programme with a 12 month long export training – the first three months being intensive.

The key success factors for the programme were:

· Media support for the programme

· Passionate participants: companies, candidates, mentors, providers, ITM, & Enterprise Estonia

· Speed of recruitment

· Sense of competition

· Used innovative recruitment strategy which set high expectations and used innovative training methods

The paper presented by Dr Rudzki at the Forum and written by him with Graeme Siddle is available in pdf format from the New Zealand School of Export website at: http://www.export.ac.nz/publications.html

A brief report with photos can also be found on the IATTO website at http://www.iatto.org/Default.aspx?ext=1&objectID=85

Koha - intellectual property

2011-11-23T19:43:00.002+13:00

Koha is the name of the open-source library software developed by the Horowhenua Library Trust in Levin New Zealand.   It was given the name 'koha' because it was intended to be a 'gift' to any library or organisation that wanted to use it. Koha is the Maori word for gift, donation or parting message.   This word is in common usage in New Zealand by both Maori and Pakeha and often it is used when we want to give a donation to help fund an event being attended by the giver. It is also used when staying on a marae or meeting-place to fund the expenses that have been incurred in the visit.
The essence of the word is that it is a gift - freely given and that is why it was chosen and used and also why it was not protected as a trademark. The software has been exported and is now used around the world.   In particular it has enabled libraries in developing countries to automate their collections and provide a better service to their people without the huge expense of other ILSs.
Now a US company Liblime has applied to register the word KOHA for computer software. The Horowhenua Library Trust and other libraries like the New Zealand School of Export Library who use Koha face a battle to oppose this application.
There is a guest post on the Patentbuff blog which you can read here: http://www.patentbuff.com/2011/11/guest-post-how-koha-trade-mark-dispute.html in which it is stated quite clearly that because the Horowhenua Library Trust has prior use of the trade mark KOHA in New Zealand , there is a good chance the Library Trust could successfully oppose the application.
You can also read Librarian Joann Ransom's plea for help here: http://koha-community.org/plea-horowhenua-library-trust/
This is a classic case of Maori words being used in a way which is completely against the spirit or wairua of the word.   Of course it may also be regarded as a case of the ignorant exporter unwittingly giving away intellectual property because they haven't done their homework.
Let's hope that Liblime will try to understand this situation and like the American company which tried to market a beer called 'Maori King' will withdraw the application.   Colorado Brewery Funkwerks changed the name when they learned of the significance of their chosen name and the fact that there was indeed a Maori King.

Gilbert W. Ullrich - exporter

2011-11-23T12:25:00.001+13:00

This year one of New Zealand’s premier exporting companies Ullrich Aluminium celebrates its 50^th anniversary. The company operates 43 distribution centres across New Zealand and Australia and exports to 23 South Pacific island nations. It has two aluminium extrusion plants – one if Hamilton and the other in the Hunter Valley, Australia, as well as a small foundry in Dunedin.

The company is lead by CEO Gilbert Ullrich who believes that we live in an age of aluminium. Mr Ullrich has been an outstanding export leader. He was a founder member of the Export Institute of New Zealand and participated widely in their activities – for example in their event programme for 1997 where he spoke on The $100,000,000 issue.

He is widely regarded as a New Zealand business leader and in 2007 Gilbert Ullrich was listed as an “influencer” by Unlimited Magazine. As far back as 1988, business writers were both writing about Gilbert Ullrich and his company and consulting him on the export trade and the economy. For example Tom Hyde wrote an article in Metro August 1988 entitled The exporters: secrets of the new order which profiled Gilbert Ullrich and others.

One of his outstanding contributions has been to encourage international trade between New Zealand and the South Pacific. He and his company have planned and supported trade missions to Pacific countries on a regular basis – this year visiting Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

He is the chairman of the NZ Pacific Business Council and his Annual Report can be read at: http://www.spasifikmag.com/nzpacificbusiness/ This gives an excellent summary of the kinds of trade activities he fosters.

This year he was appointed a member of the new Business Advisory Panel for the Auckland Council alongwith representatives of other export companies and business organisations.

In acknowledging the company’s 50 years of success, he pays tribute to Ullrich’s 700 employees and mentions in particular the specialised export department which features multi-lingual staff.

Photo: http://www.spasifikmag.com/nzpacificbusiness/

Sources:

Dominion October 29, 2011 p.B1
Index New Zealand search (National Library of New Zealand) retrieved 22 November 2011
http//:www.ullrich.co.nz

Russia is (Just About) in the WTO

2011-11-22T10:25:00.000+13:00

International Economic Law and Policy Blog: Russia is (Just About) in the WTO

The above post from the IELP blog highlights Russia's bid for membership of the WTO. It is worth remembering that countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Canada having all been members since 1995. New Zealand has embarked on negotiations for a free trade agreement with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and it will be interesting to see what effect Russia's membership of the WTO has on them. An update on those negotiations can be found at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website: http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/2-Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan/index.php

Manawatu Gorge Landslip - Impact on Exporters

2011-11-09T12:16:00.001+13:00

Since August business firms and other travellers have been inconvenienced by a huge landslip in the Manawatu Gorge near Palmerston North. Logistics and transport operators have been particularly hard hit, especially those taking goods for export through to the Port of Napier. An economic report last month showed that closures of the gorge since August had cost the region more than $2 million.

Vision Manawatu, the region's economic development agency, has said that those who use the gorge had suffered to the tune of about $62,000 a day. The report was based on 500 trucks and 6300 other vehicles using the gorge each day.
It calculated lost productivity due to the additional 13 to 20 minutes of travel around the gorge via the Pahiatua Track or Saddle Rd, as well as extra fuel costs and expenses associated with drivers being on the road longer.

Although not visible in the photograph, the Gorge has the railway line to the East Coast on the other side above the river. Fortunately this event has not affected the milk trains from Hawkes Bay to plants in Taranaki.

Photo courtesy of Nereda Corbett.

IATTO Forum Chengdu, China 2011 - a great success

2011-11-08T09:43:00.000+13:00

This is a picture of the IATTO statue which was unveiled at the Nordic Institute of Management in Chengdu, China during the recent Forum.

You can read more about the Forum at: http://iatto.org/default.aspx?pageid=292&siteid=1

Greece and its exports

2011-10-18T14:10:00.001+13:00

Over the past months the Greece debt crisis has loomed large in global economic news. In a recent newspaper article by David Charter entitled Papandreou looks on the sunny side of German bailouts , a plan to set up a huge solar power project called Helios is briefly outlined. If it goes ahead Greece will be able to export solar energy to Northern Europe. This does raise the question in my mind: What does Greece actually export?

Trade in services is obviously very important with Tourism heading that list. Greece’s main products exports are food and beverages, petroleum products, chemicals and textiles. Its principal export partners in 2010 were countries of the EU: Germany and Italy.

What does Greece export to New Zealand? The main products imported into New Zealand from Greece were plastics products, vegetable preparation products, aluminium sheets and fresh grapes. Greece is 64^th in the country rankings for trade with New Zealand with a NZD$44 million trade surplus in New Zealand’s favour for the year ended June 2010. Export of goods from Greece to New Zealand has been growing steadily from NZ$12 million in 2003 to NZ$20.5 million in 2010.

Information Sources:

Charter, D. (2011) Papandreou looks on the sunny side of German bailouts. Dominion Post 28 September, 2011 p.C5

Global New Zealand – International Trade, Investment, and Travel Profile 2010. Wellington: Statistics New Zealand. Available in pdf format.

Statistics New Zealand Infoshare database.

OECD Greece statistical profile: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/country-statistical-profile-greece_20752288-table-grc

World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html

Photo from the Greek National Tourism Organisation.

Disaster for exporters - Container ship Rena

2011-10-17T21:42:00.000+13:00

Source: http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/images/Incident-area/Salvage6-small.jpg. Maritime New Zealand. (All images in the incident gallery are available for re-use.)

This photo shows the containers on the grounded ship Rena at a dangerous list. A number of containers have already fallen overboard and have been washed up on beaches in the Bay of Plenty.

I had occasion last week to go to the local branch of Macaulay Metals - a New Zealand exporter of scrap metal based in Lower Hutt. I asked the assistant who helped me how things were going. It was quite an innocent question asked because I was interested in this exporting company. He said: 'Well not too good - we've got three containers of metal on the stranded ship going overseas'.!

No doubt Macaulay Metals is not alone in having a precious cargo of exports already ruined either because it has fallen off the ship, or because the consignment is perishable and the containers are no longer linked to any power source. The focus for Maritime New Zealand at the moment is to get the oil from the ship before it causes further environmental damage and once that is completed then to remove the containers that remain.

This sad incident highlights the dependence of New Zealand's international trade on maritime transportation. When all is going well we tend to forget about the supply chain, and only in the case of a disaster such as this do we remember these vital links.

Steve Jobs - 1955-2011 Exporter and entrepreneur

2011-10-11T19:41:00.000+13:00

Steve Jobs. Photo by dfarber. Creative Commons licence non-commercial only.

Much has been written following Steve Jobs’ death on October 5. Few if any of those writers have noted that as the developer of the i-gadgets – iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone – he was an exporter. His ideas and the technologies he fronted have been sent around the world. There are now so many other companies who are marketing and exporting these technologies.

In his obituary for Steve Jobs, Bruce Newman writes that he ‘altered the landscape of popular culture’ in three areas: music, movies and computers. Everywhere around the world, his influence through the ‘exporting of his ideas’ has been and still is felt. Indeed he has changed our language with the introduction of the ‘mouse’ at the time of the launch of the Macintosh in 1984. And at the moment and probably for some time to come, the phrase ‘I’ve got an Apple’ doesn’t mean we have a fruit.

Many of us are familiar with his entrepreneurial beginnings in business, when he and Steve Wozniak started the Apple company and the Apple brand which has become synonymous with style and ease of use. Steve Jobs was a model for all those who believe that export products should have a clear aesthetic in their design and be high quality products.

May he rest in peace.

Sources: Newman, B. (2011) Sun King reigned over Silicon Valley. [Obituary] published in the Dominion Post Friday October 7, 2011 p.B5

Rogers, C. (2011) He changed your world, whether you bought an Apple gadget or not. Dominion Post Friday October 7, 2011 p.A1

IATTO Forum Chengdu, China 2011 - Why you should not miss this Forum

2011-10-10T09:35:00.004+13:00

James Foley, current Chairman of IATTO has set out ten top reasons why you should go to China for the 2011 Forum next month:

First time ever for IATTO to hold a forum in China.
Outstanding professional development opportunities including insights into China, the global economy and trade, technology and trade, entrepreneurship, and case examples of firms expanding internationally.
Over 20 leading speakers in international trade training, education, and promotion.
Opportunities to visit Chengdu - one of the fastest growing and economically dominant cities in inland China. We will also visit the Xindo Industry Park, Furniture Park, and International Trading City.
Networking opportunities with colleagues from around the world.
Get industry insights such as the Chinese solar industry and best practices in outsourcing.
Better understand the unique challenges of trade training and promotion in emerging economics as seen from China, the US, and Europe.
Visit the campus of our host - the Nordic International Management Institute (NIMI). See their beautiful new campus and learn about exchange opportunities with this growing university.
A rare opportunist to visit the Giant Panda Breeding Center outside Chengdu - a 600 acre research and breeding ground where you will see these wonderful ambassadors for China freely roaming.
Gain new friends. Renew old friendships!

One of the reasons he lists is that it is on the campus of the Nordic International Management Institute (NIMI):

That seems to be a standout reason in itself!

Go to IATTO: http://www.iatto.org
and NIMI: http://www.nimichina.com/

Argentina - Quarter-finalist and its bilateral links with New Zealand

2011-10-05T16:21:00.001+13:00

Argentina is another of the nations who are currently in New Zealand for Rugby World Cup 2011. It is the only Spanish-speaking nation and the only one from South America. The Argentinian flag is shown in the centre of this photo with England to its right. Photo taken at the New Zealand School of Export September 2011.

On Sunday 9th October the New Zealand All Blacks will play the Argentinian rugby team the Pumas, in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup in Auckland.

New Zealand and Argentina have a number of things in common: a temperate climate, an economic focus on primary products commodities, whale conservation, climate change and the environment, and of course a rugby playing heritage.

Argentina ranked 65th as an export destination for New Zealand goods and services with a trade gap valued at almost $70 million in Argentina's favour. A large percentage of Argentina's exports to New Zealand are made up of Food waste and animal feed. Over the period 2006-2008 short-term visitor arrivals (tourists) from Argentina to New Zealand increased to over 6000 in 2009.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has prepared an Exporter Guide for Argentina and this is available from the NZTE website at: http://www.nzte.govt.nz/explore-export-markets/South-America/Doing-business-in-Argentina/Pages/Argentina-country-brief.aspx
You will also find this by clicking here for the ELIS catalogue: http://ets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=argentina
A number of New Zealand companies are actively engaged in Argentina and a list of a few is found on this page from the University of Auckland's Centre for Latin American Studies: http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/new-zealand-companies

Argentina has an Embassy in Wellington and New Zealand has an Embassy in Buenos Aires with a resident NZTE regional Manager for the Argentine Republic, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Bienvenido a Nueva Zelanda to all Argentinian rugby visitors and especially to any who are also exporters!

New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year 2011

2011-09-27T12:31:00.000+13:00

Bill Buckley - Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 Photo: from Buckley Systems website http://www.buckleysystems.com/
On September 14th I posted on Entrepreneurship and referred to the Ernst & Young resource entitled Nature or nurture. Included in that publication was a photo list of 'some of the world's leading entrepreneurs'.
It would be good to see Bill represented on the EY website or in one of their publications in the future.

Mr Buckley will represent New Zealand in the next stage of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition at Monte Carlo in France in 2012. More information about the New Zealand category winners can be found on the EY New Zealand site at: http://www.ey.com/NZ/en/About-us/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year.

You can also tap into interviews with entrepreneurs at:
http://www.ey.com/GL/en/About-us/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/Entrepreneurs-on---Leadership and this includes Diane Foreman CEO of NZ based Emerald Group.

His company Buckley Systems Ltd situated in Auckland, New Zealand, manufactures precision electromagnets and almost all their production is exported - mostly to the US, UK and Japan. Congratulations!

Don't forget to use the label list for other posts on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship or use the Search facility - top left sidebar.

U.S. Trade Agenda

2011-09-26T09:11:00.000+13:00

U.S. Chamber Applauds Senate for Advancing Trade Agenda | U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Interesting to read this report with apparent clear support for free trade agreements. New Zealand is currently negotiating six agreements but I think it is fair to say we don't see this kind of overt support.

Namibia and its links to New Zealand

2011-09-19T16:30:00.001+12:00

Bunting for the Rugby World Cup at the New Zealand School of Export 2011. Photo: 14 September, 2011, Graeme Siddle.   Namibia's flag is second from the right. The blue stands for the clear sky, the Atlantic Ocean, water, and rain. Red is said to represent Namibia's people reflecting their heroism and desire for equal opportunity. And white stands for peace and unity, with green symbolizing vegetation and agriculture.

As a result of Namibia's participation in RWC 2011, there is no doubt that more New Zealanders will recognise Namibia's flag than before. But how much do we know about that country in south-west Africa as international trade professionals.
Connections between the two peoples appear to be very few and in the period 2006-2010 there were fewer than 200 visitor arrival in each year.   This contrasts with with over 30,000 visitor arrivals in the 2010 year ended June, from Namibia's near neighbour South Africa.

In fact it appears that on a business level there have been more connections than we realise - New Zealand has had a role in the development of the orange roughy and other deep-water fisheries in Namibian waters, and we have been involved in the post and telecommunications reform and training. These links are described in the Country Brief published by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and which is available digitally at: http://tinyurl.com/3jeobjy    This Exporter Guide to Namibia was written in preparation for Namibia's participation in Rugby World Cup 2011.   So if you are a rugby fan and want information on Namibia's games you will get that here too.

Another resource which might be useful if you are a business person interested in Namibia is Doing Business in Namibia published by The World Bank and International Finance Corporation and available from: http://tinyurl.com/3jvs9s5

New Zealand is represented by a Consulate in Windhoek, but is not represented in New Zealand.

Exportersblog Audience

2011-09-16T22:12:00.000+12:00

I thought some readers might be interested in this map of our audience from the past 7 days screengrabbed at 10.00 p.m. NZT on Friday September 16, 2011. As has been commented before, readers from the US and New Zealand outnumber all others. The most popular topics change frequently and range across posts made in different years.
There have been very few posts specific to South America or Africa and this could be a reason for a lack of readers from those continents. Language does not seem to have prevented European and Asian readers from viewing posts in this week.
One could draw a line across the map and with the exception of NZ, it might be deduced that reading blog posts on exporting and international trade topics are a northern hemisphere preoccupation.

Comments anyone?

Entrepreneurship is alive and well

2011-09-14T21:34:00.000+12:00

This year Ernst & Young have published a report on entrepreneurship under the title Nature or nurture? Decoding the DNA of the entrepreneur. The key findings of the report are:

Entrepreneurial leaders are made, not born (nurture not nature)
Entrepreneurship is rarely a one-off decision
Funding, people and know-how are the biggest barriers to entrepreneurial success.
Entrepreneurs share core or common traits.
Traditional companies can learn from entrepreneurial leaders.

The full report is available electronically through the ELIS catalogue at:
http://ets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1097
The writers of the report have described the DNA of the entrepreneurial leaders in the following diagram:

Diagram entitled The DNA of the entrepreneur model from Ernst & Young 2011 report p.15.

Like many of you I am interested in reading about companies who have begun exporting or who plan to export in the near future. I never fail to be impressed by the variety of products and approaches exhibited by New Zealand companies.

So I decided to explore in a non-scientific way how three NZ companies stacked up against the core traits in this model (the keywords in the brown circle on the outside of the model). My sample of three was limited to articles recently clipped from the DominionPost newspaper describing three NZ companies. They were:

Zeezee.com - merino clothing for children
Radiola Aerospace - testing and calibrating navigation and landing instruments for aircraft
Planet Green - possum skin golf gloves (possums are a furry pest)

The three companies showed the following core entrepreneurial traits: Resilience,Teamwork, Passion, Quality, Customer focus, Flexibility, Vision and Innovation.    The only two missing were Leadership and Integrity.   In a more scientific survey in which management and staff were interviewed and websites combed, these two traits may also have showed up.   In the sample articles the focus was more on the companies rather than on individual leaders.
The EY report concludes on p.24:
     Over the past decade, entrepreneurial leaders have played an increasingly important role in the global economy.   Their ability to see opportunities in an uncertain environment, take calculated risks and be tenacious in turning ideas into successful ventures are crucial components of both job creation and the global economic recovery.
If our local companies and their leaders continue to match this DNA, we will certainly begin to make headway in our export-lead recovery.

International Literacy Day 2011

2011-09-08T22:20:00.000+12:00

Today September 8th is International Literacy Day and the main focus on the link between literacy and peace. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. UNESCO has information about this special day on their website at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/advocacy/international-literacy-day/

Without literacy, international trade will not flourish and grow, so International Literacy Day deserves the support of all of us who are involved in international trade. UNESCO has organised what is called the E-9 Initiative for the nine most highly populated countries of the "South": Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan. The E-9 Initiative is a forum for these nine high-population countries to discuss their experiences in education, exchange best practices and monitor progress on achieving Education for All (EFA). Since its launch in 1993, the E-9 network has also become a powerful lobby for EFA and South-South cooperation.

It is worth noting that this list also includes three of the BRIC nations which have fast growing economies and also that New Zealand was one of the first of the so-called developed nations to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with China and is currently involved in talks with India for an FTA.

A key question to be addressed in these India -NZ FTA negotiations might be how we can help E-9 nations such as India to move out of this group with programmes that assist their efforts to achieve literacy. Almost certainly the quality of the trade that ensues and the degree to which all involved can benefit from an FTA will be helped by basic literacy. There is food for much thought here.

Cheese Toasties and Exporting

2011-09-05T11:35:00.002+12:00

During the period of the Rugby World Cup from 9th September to 23rd October the New Zealand School of Export is offering hospitality to exporters who wish to learn more about professional training for those involved in international trade. Come out to Aokautere Park, Palmerston North and enjoy free cheese toasties and a 'cuppa.' We would love to see you on any weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To book a time for your visit please email the Director, Dr Romuald Rudzki on: rom@export.ac.nz or phone us on: 06-356-5656 ext.705. We'll look forward to seeing you. Before you come you may like to look at the School's website http://www.export.ac.nz/ and use the free information portal.

There is a map on the website at: http://www.export.ac.nz/contactus.htmland just so you know you are in the right place here is a photo of the sun-drenched entrance to the School

and here is the Director waiting to welcome you!

This event has been approved by Leon Grice of the New Zealand 2011 Office.

Frankfurt Book Fair 2012

2011-08-31T11:14:00.001+12:00

Frankfurt Book Fair 2012 | Ministry for Culture and Heritage

This is great news for New Zealand's creative industries and the export of our creativity.
New Zealand will be the Guest of Honour at the prestigious 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair which is the biggest book and media trade fair in the world – with around 7,500 exhibitors from over 110 countries and nearly 300.000 visitors yearly. The Buchmesse or Book Fair site can be found at: http://www.buchmesse.de/en/guest_of_honour/

Posting milestone

2011-08-29T21:08:00.000+12:00

Congratulations from Clarissa ! Exportersblog has reached 200 posts! Photo: Awesome Pai Rawa Graeme Siddle 28th August 2011.   I am surprised and delighted that three and a half years and 200 posts have gone by since early 2008.   I was challenged to start a blog after having attended the VALA Conference in Melbourne, Australia.   The challenge remains to develop an active readership community focusing on international trade topics and issues.

There is certainly no shortage of issues on which to post, so I hope Exportersblog will continue, and meet that challenge. The most popular post has been the GoGlobal Post on Sept. 29, 2010 with 326 pageviews and it is continuing to be looked at! May 2011 had the highest number of pageviews overall at 570.
The blog that pleases me the most is one that so far has not had any pageviews - Pallets and International Trade posted on 19th August.   I was so pleased to find that there are blue pallets in New Zealand, that some of them have ended up in Palmerston North and hopefully are playing a vital role in world trade.

Thank you to our readership over that time - especially all the American readers who look at the blog.    My compatriots are second in terms of total readers. I do puzzle over the small numbers of people from Australia who look at the posts - 84 pageviews from Australia as opposed to 1,400+ for readers from the States. Do Australians not blog? Do they have obvious alternatives? I have looked and can't find them. There is My World Blog from Miriam Feiler of Trade Australia and there is The VECCI Blog from Victoria which includes export and import topics.   It would be great to be put right if there is something we should know about.

I'm looking forward to the next 200 posts on international trade and hope to have your company from around the globe.

Tradeology

2011-08-26T22:29:00.004+12:00

Tradeology is the official blog of the ITA International Trade Administration of the US Dept of Commerce.

http://blog.trade.gov/

American readers of this blog will I am sure be very familiar with the ITA blog, but Southern Hemisphere readers probably not. From the blog itself we learn that:

The mission of the International Trade Administration is to create prosperity by strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. It says that it offers broad public access to a wide range of information, and Blog.trade.gov offers the public an alternative source to mainstream media for trade information. This blog offers the opportunity for participants to discuss issues that impact international trade with employees of the International Trade Administration.

There is a list of categories in the right hand sidebar covering a wide range of topics and I was delighted to see that there were over 60 posts on Trade Shows given my post of 24 August on that topic. However there didn’t appear to be a category for Free Trade Agreements. Only when I looked at the post on Chile for June 10, 2009 did I find that the post had tags for: free trade agreement, FTA and trade agreement. In theory one should be able to find all the posts that had these tags but to date there were no other posts covering free trade agreements I guess. The main ITA website does have a link for free trade agreements which takes one to the Trade Compliance Center website. Here all the FTAs which the United States has signed are listed and are available (13 FTAs including two side agreements on environmental cooperation and labour cooperation). One of our North American readers may wish to recommend a better site for the US Free Trade Agreements.

The blog is certainly up to date with frequent posts since April 2009. I did find it difficult to get back to the most recent page, although one way is by using the Archives monthly list. Essentially it is a US Government blog on which employees of ITA can post or engage in dialogue with the public and as such provides a careful and targeted service.

It has pushed me to look at some New Zealand blogs and compare them. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade blogs at: http://blogs.mfat.govt.nz/ are certainly very different and don’t appear to be categorized or tagged! NZTE’s blogs are to be found at: http://blogs.nzte.govt.nz/ and they do have tags and a tag cloud. FOOD and CHINA figure prominently in the cloud – what does that say about our country? Again trade agreements are not covered. This does give a real role for Exportersblog to post on this topic.

Trade Shows

2011-08-24T20:20:00.004+12:00

Stall at a trade fair advertising and displaying the produce of Kiwi Bacon & Hams, 1930, New Zealand. Reference Number: 1/2-000261-G Photographer William Arthur Price. Dry plate glass negative. Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand. No known copyright restrictions.

Much of the material that is published about trade shows or trade fairs contain really useful information about the nuts and bolts of preparation and setting up. And of course they stress the importance of this marketing technique for the exporter. Few contain strategies for the actual intelligence gathering that will go on once the opening hoopla is over.

One short piece, from that goldmine of very useful information FUMSI, written by Judith Binder outlines what she calls ‘elictation techniques’ (– from eliciting information.) This is unique and useful material for the team going to a trade show. Judith Binder’s piece can be found at:

http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/find/64638

FUMSI’s website address: http://www.fumsi.com/ and if you are looking for resources on trade shows, have a look at what the New Zealand School of Export has to offer at:

http://ets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?q=trade+fairs

Seasteading

2011-08-22T11:31:00.000+12:00

International Economic Law and Policy Blog: The International Economic Law of "Seasteading"

Here's an interesting idea published in the IELP blog! By the way this blog is a great place to keep up with what is happening over the Apples decision (New Zealand v. Australia) and the imminent entry of New Zealand apples on to the Australian market http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/

More on the TPP

2011-08-21T20:18:00.001+12:00

There is a campaign afoot in the country at the moment asking the Government to withdraw from the TPP negotiations. It has been printed on postcards for sending to Government members of Parliament and Ministers and asks that:

[the Government] put New Zealand's national interest at the heart of all trade and investment negotiations, rather than the interests of transnational corporations and the US government. It states that:
The TPPA will among other things: undermine what little NZ has left in the way of nay controls of foreign investment; institutionalise the very same horrendous financial practices which led to the global financial crisis; allow American corporations to sue the New Zealand government in private international tribunals; attack Pharmac and drive up the cost of prescription medicines; make access to digital recordings more expensive and copying more restricted; attack our GE and tobacco controls and food labeling and food and appliance safety standards; and weaken our controls of food imports where they might carry disease. The whole process is both secret and fundamentally undemocratic in the way in which it is being negotiated and then ratified by Executive decree.

The New Zealand Herald newspaper in its editorial of February 22, 2011 describes such campaigns as scaremongering. Its final paragraph is perhaps the most telling: 'Free trade agreements depend on honour, not enforcement. That is all the more reason to reserve them for partners that want them, need them and can be trusted to keep them'. Perhaps those using such a postcard campaign would agree - it's what is negotiated into the agreement which may not be honourable.

The editorial in the Dominion Post on July 23, 2011 sets out two of the issues in a more reasoned way i.e.: access to the US dairy market by our producers and the buying of drugs for the NZ health system by Pharmac.The Trade Negotiations Minister Tim Groser and indeed the Prime Minister have insisted that New Zealand will not sign up to anything that is not in the country's best interests and have signalled that Pharmac will be jealously guarded. Perhaps New Zealanders would feel more comfortable about that if the negotiations were a little less secretive.

In a letter from the Office of Hon Tim Groser, Minister of Trade dated 15 August 2011, he writes in response to receipt of one of the Red Cards:

In light of the high level of public interest in TPP, MFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) is also looking at options for making more information available, including producing information papers on key issues and a regular column by TPP negotiators. Officials will continue to undertake stakeholder consultation, and in the meantime regular updates on the progress of the negotiations will be provided on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's website http://www.mfat.govt.nz

Looks like the curtains are opening slightly.

Pallets and International Trade - some thoughts

2011-08-19T17:51:00.024+12:00

International trade is often associated pictorially by a container ship or a mountain of containers sitting on a wharf. Rarely is the role of the pallet in the supply of imports and exports acknowledged, yet it is ubiquitous and could equally fill the role that containers and container ships have!

Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts in their 2011 book Edgelands write:

'Pallets are consumer capitalism's red blood cells. They convey the products around the organism... the chances are that you're surrounded by things from places far away, borne here on a pallet.' p.196 and
'This is the age of pallets,...' p.202 The authors visit a pallet yard in Birmingham, England and find that:
'Pleasing to the eye, all the pallets are blue, stacked as high as the buildings that surround the yard. It's a powder blue, like the blue decking of seaside themed cafes and shops.' p.197.

And here is proof that powder blue pallets are to be found not only in Birmingham, England but also in Campbell Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Of course pallets are the packaging descendants of barrels, casks, kegs and tea chests. Let's recognise their role in 21st century international trade!

New Customs website for New Zealand

2011-08-12T20:44:00.001+12:00

A new website for the New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa was launched in May. The address is http://www.customs.govt.nz/.

The left-hand sidebar has clear buttons for exporters and importers but the bit that caught my eye was the section at the top Making Products in NZ. Under this section you will find information on Codes & utilities for trade and can access all the forms which Customs provide.

A nice feature is the Quick Index which is found at the bottom of every page instead of just having one sitemap. Unfortunately legislation relevant to the Customs Service is not accessible from here, but only from the News and Resources page.

It is worth taking a look and exploring what is available if you haven't done so before. Oh and if you don't already get Customs magazine Contraband - you can subscribe to it from the front page and it is FREE.

Exporting - a dilemma

2011-08-10T20:50:00.003+12:00

Should there ever be any dilemma over exporting - isn't all exporting 'a good thing'?

Located in Petone, New Zealand, the Exide Technologies company operates a plant for the recycling of batteries. The Company has been accused of breaching emission limits and endangering the health of nearby residents. This post is not about the rights and/or wrongs of that.

Since 2008, 100,000 tonnes of toxic lead acid batteries have been exported to Korea and the Philippines, rather than being recycled in New Zealand. With the possibility that four further direct shipments out of New Zealand will get the green light, it is likely that the Exide plant will close because there is not enough work to keep it going. Dilemma 1: Exporting, generally thought to be good, may in this case cause the closure of a local plant with loss of jobs.

Under the Basel Convention the Government has an obligation to ensure the availability of safe and adequate disposal facilities, if possible within our own borders. Dilemma 2: It seems as though we shouldn't be exporting this material but should be trying to recycle it within New Zealand, and there is a plant available which can do the job. That however would stop the export trade, and that would be bad for our balance of payments right. Exide say that the export of batteries is unlawful and have written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

The Company says that little has been done to assess the environmental safety of plants overseas. Dilemma 3: Are we exporting our toxic problems to other countries? Should New Zealand send this or any hazardous waste to any other country? Is it the right thing to do? Isn't this the equivalent of sending nuclear waste elsewhere - and we all think that is wrong.

Export permits had been issued by the Ministry of Economic Development until July1, subject to satisfaction that overseas plants are meeting correct standards. Dilemma 4: Maybe the Ministry shouldn't have been issuing the export permits without more information.

If New Zealand continues to export batteries for recycling, it may cause the Exide plant to close. Then if the export market dries up, we are left with no plant which can do this work. Dilemma 5: The export trade in this product may leave NZ without the ability to do what it has committed itself to do under international agreements.

Exporting the batteries rather than recycling in New Zealand, reaps a higher profit for companies. Dilemma 6: This is not an uncommon problem - the local activity doesn't get as high a price as the overseas one. Do we use positive discrimination to support local industry as opposed to exporting?

The Exide Technologies Ltd website is at: http://www.exide.co.nz/ but there is no information about this activity. The Company's application for a continuation of its resource consent and report on process details to the Wellington Regional Council dated April 2011 http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Resource-Consents/Manson-Report-on-Process.PDF is however a more informative document. In it they say that the service they provide is of national importance, and that if the plant closed ULABs (used lead acid batteries) would have to be exported as hazardous waste or would accumulate in the environment.

Are we committed to exporting and exports at any price? Conversely are we committed to recycling in New Zealand at any price?

Apple exports from New Zealand - decline!

2011-08-06T17:20:00.003+12:00

In my two posts about our holiday to Germany and the United Kingdom, I mentioned the fall in apple exports from New Zealand. An article in the Dominion Post for Thursday 4 August, 2011 (Page C1), goes some way to explaining what is happening.

Some of the points outlined by Jon Morgan were:

Growers must change the industry's strategy and alter the way they market their fruit
New Zealand's apples are sold to an unknown destination, with fruit going through two hands in Europe before finishing up in the UK
All four major supermarket chains in Britain are supplied, but the apples go through many service providers to get onto the shelves in the high street
We are not promoting the New Zealand brand but rather numerous independent brands

As a result of this very bleak picture 'bankers and international consumers were starting to question the industry's viability.'

These solutions were given:

One point of entry for the majority of Braeburn apples going into the UK
Using collective shipping
Promotion of "Brand New Zealand" rather than a myriad of brands which were not necessarily obvious as from New Zealand
Eliminate marginal apple varieties
Get the marketing right for entry into the new Australian market

Is there an apple exporter among our readers who would like to comment?

Will collaborative consumption affect international trade?

2011-08-05T17:19:00.000+12:00

The Guardian Weekly for 8 July 2011 ran an article entitled Must-have addiction has to end by Leo Hickman in which he cites a book by Rachel Botsman called What's mine is yours: How collaborative consumption is changing the way we live.

She says that social networking has enhanced the notion and practice of collaborative consumption which 'aims to exploit previously ignored or unnoticed value in all our assets by both eliminating waste and generating demand for goods ans service that are otherwise lying idle.'

The development of e-bay, and Trade Me in New Zealand has successfully enabled people to sell off unwanted goods easily and with the added pleasure of making a few dollars. Movements such as Freecycle in New Zealand allow sharing of idle goods in a targeted way. This selling or sharing of unwanted goods has been around a long time but the internet has meant that you are not touring Saturday car boot or garage sales on the off-chance you might pick up something useful.

Does it mean that we will consume less and therefore demand for garments from China or shoes from India will fall to the detriment of our trade? Will shared vehicles or belonging to a car club mean that our need for cars and petrol will also decline? How will that affect our imports from japan, or the production of petrol from our own refinery?

An important element of this kind of consumption is that you look to see if your seller has been offering a good service - how does Trade Me rate their efficiency, their packing and delivery? In other words it is dependent on trust and the building up of our reputation - just as in international trade we look to those countries and companies that have a reputation for delivering what we want, what they say they will deliver within the agreed costs and time. Maybe instead of reducing the overall amount of trade, it will see enhanced trade between trusted partners as a result of this kind of collaborative consumption at an individual level. As well it may mean that goods that have sat around waiting for a buyer can somehow reach a customer that needs them. What do you think - a bit far-fetched? a possibility?

IATTO Forum 2011, Chengdu, China

2011-08-01T01:00:00.001+12:00

The 2011 IATTO Forum, will be held in Chengdu, West China from 1-4 November, 2011. The Forum host will be the Nordic International Management Institute and is being organised by Professor Per Jenster.
The Nordic International Management Institute (NIMI) in Xindu District, Chengdu is a newly established institution dedicated to offering world class leadership and business development for managers and organizations in China and the Asia-Pacific Region.

Twelve forums have been held by IATTO (the International Association of Trade Training Organisations) but this is the first time it has been held in China and it promises to be an exciting venue with a stimulating programme.

A list of some of the presentations organised to date include:

Prof. Niclas Adler, Babson University (USA) - New Growth with Global Entrepreneurs
Prof. Mike Miles, University of Ottawa (Canada), - Tools to Help SME Management Teams Align on Internationalization
Prof. Yeo Lay Hwee, Singapore Management University - How Singapore Helps SMEs Engage in Internationalization
Dr Romuald Rudzki, New Zealand School of Export - Supporting companies with 21st century library and information services
Prof. Per Jenster, NIMI - Why We Need to Rethink Trade and Trade Development
Prof. Haico Ebbers, Nyenrode University (The Netherlands) - Why is the Nature of Trade Changing and What does it mean for Competence Development?

You can find the full list at: http://www.iatto.org/Default.aspx?ext=1&objectID=55

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It is also one of the most important economic centres, transportation and communication hubs in Western China. Chengdu has attracted leading professional institutions such as IBM and Accenture, which have opened sub-branches in the area. And Swedish carmaker Volvo has chosen Chengdu as a manufacturing base.

Photo retrieved from: http://english.cri.cn/6566/2009/05/05/902s481706.htm
27 July 2011

Welsh Postscript

2011-07-29T20:05:00.001+12:00

This sign was an excellent reminder that wherever one is, a knowledge of the local language, customs, and business practices never goes amiss in international trade.

In fact we didn't have to allow for horse-drawn carts or anifeiliaid.
I just hope that their export trade was not dependent on the carts for their supply chain.
Photo: Descending the Black Mountains, through Capel-y-ffin, Wales 20 June 2011. Graeme Siddle

If you are interested in the topic of cultural awareness, check out the 2009 post Do you have cultural savvy?

UK - our traditional trade partner

2011-07-27T21:14:00.000+12:00

Engineering is not usually one of the things that I hunt out when I am on an overseas holiday, but this time as part of our visit to England and Wales, we went to Bristol. I knew about Kingdom Isambard Brunel but seeing both the S.S.Great Britain and the Clifton Suspension bridge which he designed were real highlights.

For those who have not visited the S.S.Great Britain, it is in the dry dock where it was originally built and you can walk right around the hull. It is protected with a glass ceiling which keeps the ship at the correct humidity and which will ensure its survival. The prow of the ship is above the glass ceiling. Photo: Graeme Siddle 20 June 2011.

When it was completed in 1845, the S.S. Great Britain was a revolutionary vessel—the first ship to combine an iron hull with screw propulsion, and at 322 ft (98 m) in length and with a 3,400-ton displacement, more than 100 ft (30 m) longer and 1,000 tons larger than any ship previously built. It was fitted to accommodate a total of 360 passengers, along with 1,200 tons of cargo and 1,200 tons of coal for fuel. Like most steamships of the era, Great Britain was provided with secondary sail power.

And why you might ask is this significant? Because of its revolutionary nature, it changed sea transport irrevocably and therefore international trade. The ship carried passengers and cargo from the United Kingdom to Australia over the period 1851-1881. It certainly carried exports of Australian gold back to England.

Sea transport is still playing an important role in our international trade with to the UK. Some of the facts about that trade are interesting. For example over the 2009-2010 period our exports fell 16.1% - compare my post on Germany. However in the year ending December 2010 the UK was still our sixth most important trading partner (exports plus imports), after Australia, China, Japan and Korea. This is remarkable considering the move New Zealand has made towards markets in Asia in response to the need to move away from dependence on the UK when they entered the Common market (European Community).

The balance of trade is in New Zealand's favour with a NZ$573 billion difference in 2010. The emphasis though remains on primary products such as sheep meat, wool, aluminium and apples. Like Germany there was a decrease in apple exports of 31% in 2009-2010. Honey is also in the top 10 New Zealand products exported to the UK - in fact the UK is our top destination for honey. And as with Germany our main import from the UK is motor vehicles.

Detailed study reveals some surprises - an increase of exports of laboratory heating equipment which was in the top 20 of exported products to the UK. And on the import side we are still heavily dependent for imports of books, newspapers and periodicals which are in the top five imports!

All of which information is a world away from a 170 year old ship in Bristol, but not from the technology that it represented and which paved the way for international trade developments on a large scale.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Britain#Service_history
Global New Zealand: international trade, investment and travel profile. Statistics New Zealand, 2010

Information and NZSOE - Blatant Advertising

2011-07-14T20:39:00.001+12:00

We are passionate about information at the New Zealand School of Export. We believe that information is one of the keys to excellence in international trade education. In turn we trust that our graduates carry on the information skills learned into their own export ventures.

This is why we update our website regularly. The changes may not be substantial but they either add to the information we have, or ensure that what we have is current. Resources we recommend have all been vetted by a professional librarian: see www.export.ac.nz

It is too easy even for professional educators to fall back on Google or Wikipedia without thinking about our real information needs and formulating a clear and simple sentence about what it is we need and what the key words are. We do not however discount the usefulness of either of these tools and indeed the 2011 version of the International Trade Research Module for the Diploma of International Trade has a whole chapter on Wikipedia for international trade professionals.

Yes this is blatant advertising but that's because we believe in what we do and the power of information for the exporter.

We keep a close watch too on a wide variety of publications including recently the Waitangi Tribunal report WAI 262. Both government and private institutions publish material　which have direct comments on our international trade or on issues which impinge on it. WAI 262 is a very good example of this. It has had a long gestation period but right back in 2002 when Dr Rudzki published the Biotechnology report for the Manawatu he recognised the importance of this report for the future.

Both government and private sector reports contain information, comments and statements which affect the whole international trade community and particularly exporters. For example in the case of WAI 262, it concerns intellectual property. Section 1.5.5 refers to the TRIPS Agreement and it recommends a dual strategy in 1.6 that:

1. New Zealand introduce a regime to protect mataurange Maori and taonga works, and
2. to advocate for broad uptake of minimum standards of protection in the international community, whether in large multilateral or smaller free trade agreements

You can find the full report in pdf format at:

http://www.waitangi-tribunal.govt.nz/reports/default.asp?type=wai&keywords=262

Germany - falling imports from New Zealand

2011-07-12T20:04:00.000+12:00

I had every intention of writing a blog post when I was actually in countries visited, but that didn't happen and so here I am writing very much post trip. That failure however does give one time for reflection ...

Our time in Germany didn't get off to a very auspicious start with the e-coli scare uppermost in our minds. Since I am vegetarian I certainly was careful what I ate in the first few days until it seemed that the crisis was over. The other story which has dominated the news over the whole holiday has been the concern for the fate of the Greek economy and Germany's involvement in both the problem and the solution. Looking into the NZ School of Export's file on Germany - a clipping from the DominionPost of March 21, 2010 shows that this has been an ongoing story and concern for some little while and bailout two is still being worked through.

In retrospect I now realise that being held back by Berlin Police on the Unter den Linden while suited gentlemen with briefcases got out of large limos, and seeing a cavalcade of helmeted motorcyclists sirens blaring near the Tiergarten were almost certainly both to do with high level discussions to sort out this problem.

Following re-unification there has been a huge thrust to re-build and build anew and we were impressed by the restoration of the Nikolaikirche in Potsdam (outside of Berlin) and the plans for the new Brandenburg Parliament = Landtag. In the photo below, the red building outside Nikolaikirche is the Information Centre for the Parliament building. Towards the end of the socialist era, a building was started on this site and subsequently demolished so that the historical layout of the city could be recreated. (Photo: Graeme Siddle 10 June, 2011)

New Zealand fruit is being sold in Berlin - however our export trade in apples to Germany seems to have taken a hit in the 2009-2010 period with a 41% drop in value of product! New Zealand's exports to Germany fell in the year to June 2010 by 22.3% and the trade imbalance was in Germany's favour with New Zealand importing NZD $952 million's worth of merchandise from Germany. Motor vehicles unsurprisingly, are our major import from Germany.

Germany's exports jumped 17% in 2010 and is now out-exporting the US to China by a factor of three to one. Despite an active German- New Zealand Business Association (www.germantrade.co.nz) we don't seem to be cashing in on the export-led recovery in Germany.

Postscript: we were fortunate to be able to visit Baden-Wurttemburg before we left and did a whistle-stop tour of the the very attractive university town of Tubingen. Our attention was drawn to this shop window:

If you look carefully you will see two kiwis and a slice of kiwifruit. The link to shoes was not obvious!! (Photo: Graeme Siddle 14 June 2011)

Hong Kong - New Zealand's 18th largest trade partner

2011-07-09T21:34:00.001+12:00

Recently I passed through Hong Kong on a flight to London. Our flight schedule allowed time to do just one thing - what was it to be? Shopping? A ferry trip? In the end we opted for a journey on the Peak tramway. It certainly outshone Wellington's Cable Car in length, steepness and variety. And the views - well you can see the views... The growth of the city is evident from this picture. (Photo: Graeme Siddle, 31 May, 2011)

The growth in demand has been reflected in growth in some products exported to Hong Kong from New Zealand which have shown remarkable growth in the 2009-2010 period. Sheep meat exports have increased 74.7% over that time, and honey a remarkable 96.2%. Overall growth has not been so marked with only a 0.4% growth 2009-2010.

Our trade balance with Hong Kong is well in New Zealand's favour being 691 million NZD for the year ended June 2010. No doubt great store will be being placed on the New Zealand-Hong Kong, China Closer Economic Partnership (NZ-HK CEP) which entered into force on 1 January 2011, and it will be interesting to see what story the merchandise trade figures tell for the period ended June 2011. Text of the Agreement and other information on the Hong Kong Agreement can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website at:
http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/2-Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/Hong-Kong/index.php

New Issue of IN Business

2011-07-04T10:53:00.000+12:00

The latest issue of IN-business magazine has just been published. If you have not come across it before, IN-business is published in partnership with NZTE and publishes a range of stories about New Zealanders in business.
This issue is particularly arresting because one of its focuses is business in Russia especially in the light of NZ's negotiations for an FTA with Russia. Russia is of course one of the BRICS nations alongwith South Africa, India, Brazil and China. In one of the articles Stuart Prior, former NZ ambassador to Russia, says that we have a real chance to build important new business in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan through this FTA. I loved the illustration on p.31 of the Russian bear looking at the quizzical kiwi.

I have been to Russia as a tourist (not in a tour bus) and it was hard - Prior says that Russia is ' most easily consigned to the too-hard basket' - I can imagine why.

Recently the Dominion published an article saying that Russia offered huge potential for textile firms and companies in our textile hubs of Levin, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Auckland had been visited by several Russian textile companies in May. This is great news especially for our local exporters in the Manawatu-Horowhenua. (Dominion May 26, 2011, C3)

Russia is obviously a market to watch.

International Year of Forests 2011

2011-05-29T22:29:00.002+12:00

The year 2011has been declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable forest management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations. Forests are an integral part of global sustainable development. According to World Bank estimates, more than 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. The forest product industry is a source of economic growth and employment, with global forest products traded internationally in the order of $270 billion.

Forestry is a key industry for New Zealand's overseas trade and also for New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme. 2009 was a watershed year for New Zealand's planted forest area with a switch from a loss to a gain. In the year June 2009-2010 wood exports were the third most important exported product with an 8.9 % increase over the previous period.

It is therefore important that we recognise the importance of IYF for this country and for our international trade.

Logo used with permission.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Year_of_Forests
Global New Zealand International trade, investment, and travel profile: Year ended June 2010
The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme - Information for business owners (pamphlet)

Intellectual Property and TPP

2011-05-18T10:54:00.002+12:00

It will be interesting to see what the New Zealand reaction is to this May 17 release from the US Chamber of Commerce - this is the text only:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) today applauded members of the U.S. Senate for their support of strong intellectual property (IP) protections in the current negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), citing abipartisan letter from 28 Senators to President Barack Obama urging strong intellectual property provisions in the trade agreement.
“With the United States and eight other countries engaged in the negotiations, the TPP is envisioned as a cutting-edge trade accord that will serve as a doorway through which American exporters can better access the booming markets of Asia,” said Mark Elliot, GIPC’s executive vice president. Pointing to the leadership of Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) for spearheading the letter, Elliot said, “Senators Hatch, Cantwell, and the other signatories should be commended for their strong support for advancing the protection of America’s IP-intensive industries globally and for recognizing the important precedential value of the TPP in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.”
The bipartisan letter highlights the economic contributions of America’s IP-intensive industries and the crucial role strong intellectual property protection plays in promoting the vitality of these industries. The letter also urges the administration to not only seek the highest IP standards as it finalizes the proposals, but to also reject any efforts to weaken IP protection as compared with high-standard agreements such as the U.S.—Korea Free Trade Agreement.
“The economic growth and global competitiveness of the United States hinges on our ability to foster innovation and creativity,” added Elliot. “Senators Hatch and Cantwell should be commended for their support and advocacy for protecting the ingenuity and inventiveness of U.S. businesses and the 19 million American workers whose jobs depend on intellectual property.”
The Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center is working around the world to champion intellectual property (IP) rights as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth, and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

No-Tillage - Feilding, New Zealand Company

2011-05-15T14:28:00.000+12:00

I am currently reading a book called The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka [1913-2008]. In it he sets out his four principles of natural farming. As I read these:
1. No cultivation
2. No chemical fertilizer or prepared compost
3. No weeding by tillage or herbicide
4. No dependence on chemicals

I remembered that locally in Feilding we have a company that with its cross-slot technology supports no tillage or cultivation. The company is Baker No-Tillage Ltd and it has sent its cross-slot technology to the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and to Australia. It is a real success story and one which is resonating more and more with farmers who care for the environment and for their soils.

The website at: http://www.crossslot.com/index.php includes a number of videos in English, French, German and Russian giving information and showing how farmers are using the technology and the results they are getting. Many of them are interviews with farmers so the results and experiences are coming from 'the horse's mouth'.

Reading the website and thinking about Fukuoka's ideas, there has been wide divergence of practice, because clearly farmers using the cross-slot technology are applying fertilizer. Fukuoka advocated putting the straw back onto the land which had been cropped instead of using any kind of fertilizer. However it is really interesting to see this philosophy originally set out in The One-Straw Revolution written in 1975. The website give no hint that there is a link or that Fukuoka's ideas were read by John Baker.

Incidentally Baker No-Tillage Limited and Cross Slot were named finalists in the Corporate Environment section of the World Technology Awards 2010 held in New York on December 1^st. The World Technology Awards ceremony was the “grand finale” of the two-day World Technology Summit held at the Time/Life Building in central Manhattan. This was a major achievement for this exporting company, which is based in Feilding, New Zealand.

Textile industry in New Zealand

2011-05-04T21:39:00.000+12:00

A follow-up to the recent post on the Textiles subject map. This jersey=sweater is made by the Weft Knitting Company in Christchurch, New Zealand and is 80% merino wool and 20% possum yarn. (Photo: 4 May 2011, Graeme Siddle).

Last year ATITO (the Apparel & Textile Industry Training Organisation) published three industry profiles: Apparel, Knitted Goods, and Textiles. They don't focus on these industries as export organisations but rather describe the industry as it was in 2010 using statistics from the 2006 New Zealand Census. This information is of course vital to companies who may be thinking of exporting or for entrepreneurs wanting to set up an operation for export of such goods.

The Industry profile for the Textile Industry is available at: http://www.atito.org.nz/sites/atito.org.nz/images/Industry%20Profiles/Textile%20Industry%20profile%202010.pdf
and also through the ELIS catalogue.

It is worth noting that three regions of New Zealand had the largest number of workers employed in the textile industry: Auckland, Canterbury and the Manawatu-Wanganui. In fact Canterbury and Manawatu-Wanganui showed an over-representation of workers in the textile industry. Just over 5% of NZ's workforce was in the Manawatu-Wanganui region in 2006 but it had 18% of the textile workforce. Similarly Canterbury had 14% of NZ's workforce but 22% of the textile workforce.

Many of those textile workers are employed in exporting companies for example Weft Knitting in Christchurch (Canterbury). The Manawatu-Wanganui Region includes the Levin Textile Cluster with exporting companies such as Comfort Socks, Levana, Swazi and Tararua Yarns.

Section 5.4 of the Profile is entitled Firm Births & Deaths and includes a table showing firm births and deaths 2001-2008. Firm births of course indicate people's willingness and confidence in starting new enterprises. Firm deaths sounds a bit lugubrious but is a constant reality within New Zealand's specialised manufacturing industry sector.

As mentioned the statistical information used in the Profiles comes from the 2006 Census. Because of the Christchurch earthquake, Census 2011 was cancelled. This will inevitably have a flow-on effect for the production of important statistics for entrepreneurs and exporters in industries such as textiles. Certainly firm deaths as a result of the earthquake will be particularly revealing. Christchurch and Canterbury firms are heavily represented among wool and wool products exporting companies.

If you didn't get to look at the Textiles Subject Map go to: http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html
and check it out.

International Economic Law and Policy Blog: Donald Trump as U.S. Trade Rep

2011-04-28T10:07:00.001+12:00

International Economic Law and Policy Blog: Donald Trump as U.S. Trade Rep

If you are interested on the impact that Donald Trump might have on international trade read this post!

Export News 1996!

2011-04-28T09:55:00.000+12:00

Recently the New Zealand School of Export was donated a number of copies of Export News styled as New Zealand's Leading Export Newspaper. We are delighted to have them in our collection even although it is a broken run of issues. The earliest number is for 10 June 1996 and makes for fascinating reading - it includes a focus on exporting to Germany and a report on a Carrot Group who had been to Japan on a 'learning mission'. 15 years on it is interesting to see themes which continue today - the push into Asia, wine exports and primary products.

At least six Christchurch companies were listed in articles throughout this issue and I thought it would be interesting to see if they still have a presence in the city and had survived the February earthquake. All still have a web presence although one has been taken over but the brand is retained. Another now has Japanese owners but is still firmly based in Christchurch. Three had news on their website as to how they had survived the quake and were still open for business.

It says something for the resilience and commitment of companies such as these that they have survived so long and like a number of other companies form a solid block of exporting firms in Christchurch and the Canterbury region.

Export News which was put out by Tradenz - the New Zealand Trade Development Board, is a treasure trove of information on international trade in New Zealand and future researchers will not be able to ignore it.

International education

2011-04-19T11:43:00.001+12:00

The International Economic Law and Policy Blog recently (6 April, 2011) published this post from Simon Lester:

Trade in Everything: Public School Students

From the AP:

Northern Maine is 7,000 miles and a world away from China, but that's not stopping a school superintendent from recruiting Chinese students to attend public high school in this remote mill town.
Faced with declining enrollments and shrinking revenues, public school districts from Maine to California are seeking out students from overseas, particularly China, to attend their high schools. At least two public schools in Maine have 10 tuition-paying Chinese students in classes this year, and the superintendent in Millinocket is the latest to set his sights on China.

I was rather surprised to read this as New Zealand schools have had international students from many different countries for a number of years. Maybe the enrolment of such students is not so blatantly targeted at dealing with money difficulties or balancing the books, but it certainly helps our high schools. In addition there is no doubt that culturally there are pluses for all involved.

International education contributes more than $2 billion to our economy and supports about 32,000 jobs in schools, tertiary institutions and PTEs. International education is sometimes called Export education in New Zealand.

A new Crown Agency is proposed which will improve the way the Government supports international education, and functions currently shared between the Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise will be brought together.

Export Drive New Zealand

2011-04-15T09:54:00.001+12:00

Periodically articles are published in the media which exhort companies in New Zealand to grow their exports- to grow our trade with the rest of the world. Recently the Executive Director at Export New Zealand, Catherine Beard, wrote a comment piece headed Growth in trade essential if incomes are to increase. This was published in the Dominion Post on April 4, 2011, p.C2.

Her thrust was that recently negotiated free trade agreements have been successful and that both the major political parties have trade policy agendas which are supported by Export New Zealand. That's fine but articles such as this avoid the question of how companies get the training necessary to be able to export successfully in the global marketplace. Some people learn to ride a bike by themselves and fall off many times in the process - others get someone to help. Companies can avoid mistakes and get support by completing a course such as the Diploma of International Trade offered by the New Zealand School of Export. I wouldn't have expected Ms Beard to support one course over another but encouragement of exporters to get practical assistance would help promote 'the growth in trade' which we all agree is so important. International trade education is vital to the continuing success and health of the sector.

Textiles - Subject Map

2011-04-12T09:50:00.000+12:00

Transportation of flax fibre, (Wellington wharves?) ca 1920s 1 b&w original negative(s).; Glass negative.; Single negative. Scene on a wharf, probably in Wellington, showing railway wagons of flax being transferred to a ship. Photograph taken by S C Smith. Photo from Timeframes - National Library of New Zealand

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor - textile industry? Have you wondered how to find information on textile exporting companies and the fibre and textile industry in New Zealand?

Check out our new Subject Map which takes you to resources held in our ELIS Collection. See: http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html

Exporter, designer, writer

2011-04-06T22:34:00.000+12:00

Shells of Kina, sea urchins or sea eggs. Photo Graeme Siddle.

I have just discovered the website of a Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, exporter called David Trubridge. David Trubridge Ltd is a furniture and lighting design company and three quarters of the output from its factory in Whakatu is exported. Australia is the biggest single market for their products, but he also sells through distributors or shops in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Singapore.

For David context is everything and his website with its Design pages, (as opposed to product pages) are set in a rich context: http://www.davidtrubridge.com

Under the About button you will find a section on his Core Values set out under the following headings: Nourishment, Fashion, Design process and Why we Need Art. Under each is a quotation from interviews he has given to design magazines. It is a pity that the references for the articles are not given because he does seem to be very careful in his writing to note relevant sources.

The Writing button gives access to five essays and to his blog. These provide that vital context for what he and his team produce. Here is a quote from his essay The Cultural Designer:

All of this means that a new type of design must be created. I call this Cultural Design -- design as we have never known it, at least for a very long time. The cultural designer will primarily design abstract lifestyles and rituals that allow us to lead a sustainable life. For the few objects that are needed, they will have much less to do with the physical workings of objects, and more to do with their effect -- how they nourish us.

Source: http://www.davidtrubridge.com/writing/david-s-essays/the-cultural-designer/ Retrieved 5 April 2011.

Do take a look and read some of his material – it is very challenging. By looking at this New Zealand exporter’s website, I’m sure you will also discover the link with the photo.

Incoterms Training - Online!

2011-04-04T10:23:00.000+12:00

Have you been looking for training for the new Incoterms 2010? Did you know that the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce is offering online courses. Look at:

http://www.iccwbo.org/Events/Events_content/ICC-Incoterms-2010-Masterclasses-training-for-trade-professionals/

These courses are suitable for export/import managers, trade finance officers, supply chain, and even for those involved in the legal aspects of international trade.

Whos Talkin - Crowdsourcing

2011-03-23T12:22:00.000+13:00

On 17 March I wrote a post on the New Zealand company LanzaTech. If you were interested in this company and what it is doing with clean technologies, you may have followed up the links provided. If you were particularly interested in what people are saying in the social media about LanzaTech, you should check out a site such as Whos Talkin: http://www.whostalkin.com

If you do a search on LanzaTech you will retrieve a long list of results of 'who has been talking=blogging, twittering, writing'. Whos Talkin also covers and includes this blog.

Searches work work very quickly if they are limited to one social medium, but it's worth persisting with a search across all the media. For example type in the search 'wood exports' and click Twitter from the left-hand sidebar. This should retrieve tweets on wood exports, and then either try another medium or a search across all. Try it out - it may be a tool that really helps you keep up to date in your exporting or importing company.

Christchurch Exporters get Government Assistance

2011-03-22T21:22:00.000+13:00

“To help build international confidence, a $2 million fund to support visits to overseas markets by earthquake-affected export businesses would be made available through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. It would cover 75 per cent of eligible travel expenses.
"Exporters have expressed concerns about how people outside New Zealand perceive the ongoing effects of the earthquake on business.
"The funding to support visits to international markets will help them meet clients face-to-face, reinforce ongoing relationships and reassure them that Christchurch, and New Zealand, is open for business."

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4794699/Christchurch-earthquake-Govts-6-85m-economic-recovery-package

On the NZTE webpage there is this piece which refers the reader on:

Canterbury earthquake assistance

Canterbury-based businesses affected by earthquakes may be able to access some special funding support from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).
A package of support measures for Canterbury businesses was announced by the Government on 22 March 2011. NZTE is putting in place systems to administer some of these and more details will be made available on this page once the support becomes available.
In the meantime, you can read the more in the Government’s media release:
www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-commits-helping-canterbury-businesses

Lanzatech

2011-03-17T13:34:00.000+13:00

A company that is making news these days for the development and exporting of clean technology processes is New Zealand based Lanzatech. It has won a number of recent awards and some of the key features of this company and its co-founder Sean Simpson are:

Its entrepreneurial spirit
New Zealand based company with offices in Shanghai and Illinois
Initial research was library based
Science and technology absolutely crucial to success
First demonstration unit at Bluescope Steelmill, Glenbrook
Contracts signed for plants in China, South Korea and India (NZ has FTA with China and negotiating FTAs with South Korea and India)
Partnership approach – exploring all possibilities
Compartmentalisation of IP
In NZ there is potential for usage of biomass and agricultural waste.

You can read more about this exciting cleantech firm by using the sources below or looking in Index New Zealand which has four references to articles about this company. If you want to check them out but don’t know how to use this National Library service look at the free Pathfinder that you will find at: http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html

Sources:

Lanzatech company website: http://www.lanzatech.co.nz

Export Library & Information Service File Management System. Case studies: Lanzatech.

McFadden, S. (2011) The scientist, the steel mill and the prima donna. Unlimited magazine, Feb-Mar. pp.43-45. Retrieved from:

http://www.lanzatech.co.nz/sites/default/files/imce_uploads/lanzatech_unlimited_mag.pdf

Smellie, P. (2011) Lanzatech looks to go global without leaving home. Dominion Post 16 March. C4. Retrieved from:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/small-business/4774809/Lanzatech-looks-to-go-global-without-leaving-home

Japanese Earthquake, March 11, 2011

2011-03-16T19:34:00.000+13:00

On behalf of the New Zealand School of Export I offer my condolences to all those affected by this terrible disaster. Inevitably since Japan is one of our major export destinations, our exporters will be linked with distributors, logistics companies and others directly caught up in these events.
Ben Macintyre writing for the Times, republished in the Dominion Post March 16th, in an article entitled Why Quakes Leave the Japanese Unshakeable mentions the Japanese word gaman. He says that it is 'a concept that defies easy translation, but broadly means calm forbearance, perseverance and poise in the face of adverse events beyond one's control.'
We wish the Japanese international trade community ganbatte kudasai || stand firm, hold out. Or in Maori kia kaha || be strong.

Economic powerhouse - the South Island?

2011-03-08T14:05:00.000+13:00

Mid-Canterbury, South Island, N.Z.

In his Comment column published in the Dominion Post for February 28, 2011, Tom Pullar-Strecker asserted that 'The mainland (= South Island for our non-NZ audience) is the powerhouse of our export economy.'

At first this seemed a bit far-fetched and I puzzled over how I would prove or disprove his statement. Subsequently I was reading the February issue of NZ Manufacturer p.10 and came across these outstanding statistics for Mid-Canterbury which supplies:

50% of world requirements for radish seeds
35% of world requirements for white clover seeds
33% of world requirements for carrot seeds
approx 30% of world requirements for bok choi seeds
1/4 of all NZ feed grains
60% of the seeds for growing pasture - underpinning a NZD$9 bn export industry

These figures at least go some way to proving Tom Pullar-Strecker right! It's obviously a subject worth more investigation.

Our Audience

2011-03-02T14:04:00.000+13:00

Like me, you have probably wondered who else is reading this blog. Well it is interesting to look at and study the Pageviews by countries statistics. In a recent month which I have analysed, 31.3% of pageviews were from the United States, and this is consistent with the month just passed as well. Thank you to all those Americans who read Exportersblog - it's great to know that you are looking at the posts even if you feel you cannot comment. However if you want to share comments from a US point of view, that would be great as it would add some zest to the blog I'm sure.

In the month from mid-January to mid-February, Dutch readers were the second largest group by pageview, followed by New Zealanders. For the month just passed, those places were reversed.

It is obvious that pageview statistics will be influenced by the subject matter of each post and there have been a few posts on the TPP trade agreement negotiations which may have attracted US readers. Canadians did not seem to be picking up on the blog at all.

Pageviews by readers from countries where English is not the first language were a staggering 47.5% in the month I analysed. Of course English may be the language of business in those countries.

Readers' comments may have given us some idea of our readership, but like other blogs which I look at, it seems that people are content to read rather than leave comments. If the Exportersblog gives you information or even makes you think, then it is fulfilling its goals. That said, more comments would be always be welcomed and appreciated. Commenting is easy - there are instructions on the left hand side of this post.

Christchurch Earthquake February 22, 2011

2011-03-01T11:33:00.000+13:00

The New Zealand School of Export offers its condolences to everyone affected by the earthquake, but in particular to companies located in and around Christchurch who are involved with international trade. We hope that in the fullness of time you will be back in operation keeping the local and national economy going. You are very much needed by us all. With support and best wishes to you and your staff.

Business and Chemistry - IYC 2011

2011-02-21T13:39:00.001+13:00

The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. The unifying theme “Chemistry—our life, our future,” for IYC 2011 will offer a range of interactive, entertaining, and educational activities for all ages and is intended to reach across the globe, with opportunities for public participation at the local, regional, and national level.

The goals of IYC2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry. The year 2011 will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize awarded to Madame Marie Curie—an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women to science. The year will also be the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies, providing a chance to highlight the benefits of international scientific collaboration.

IYC 2011 events will emphasize that chemistry is a creative science essential for sustainability and improvements to our way of life.

The IYC 2011 is an initiative of IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It involves chemical societies, academies, and institutions worldwide, and relies on individual initiatives to organize local and regional activities. Source: http://www.chemistry2011.org/about-iyc/introduction .

There is a New Zealand node for the IYC which you can find at: http://www.chemistry2011.org/connect/the-iyc-network?show_node=1385

In 1921 Arthur D. Little wrote in an article entitled The Place of chemistry in business:

The wholly abnormal conditions under which business everywhere is now conducted lend particular interest to another function of industrial research, namely, that of finding new outlets for present products and new products for existing plants. Bankers and capitalists should realize, as they doubtless do, that the basis of credit for industrial enterprises has shifted. Past earnings have lost their significance. Audits and inventories and balance sheets tell the story of past performance. What is now required is the assurance of future earning power. That assurance can be safely based only on technical studies covering raw material supply, the adequacy of equipment, the relation of processes and methods to the best modern practice, the efficiency with which energy and material are utilized, and the status of the product in the market under the new industrial and economic conditions. Now is the time to put our house in order, to sweep out wastes and inefficiencies, to study and solve our problems, to make ourselves worthy of and ready for a sounder and broader prosperity than our country has yet known. Let us go to it.

Source: http://www.businesschemistry.org/downloads/articles/Issue05-2009_2.pdf

New Zealand’s international trade based the export of primary products has at its base, the research and knowledge that comes from chemistry. Without that chemical knowledge, the ability to export and the wide variety of products we export, would not exist. Little’s article is dated in parts but surprisingly up to date in others, but importantly makes the link between the importance of chemistry to business, and of course to international trade.

TPP negotiations – Santiago, Chile

2011-02-16T09:58:00.000+13:00

Right now the fifth round of TPP negotiations is being held in Chile finishing on Friday 18 February. These talks are very important for New Zealand and equally important is that New Zealanders are able to see what is going on at the talks through the release of information. President Obama has said the agreement ‘must be enforceable, and of the highest standard, in the interests of our workers, farmers and businesses.’ I'm sure New Zealand workers, farmers and businesses as well as those of the other countries in the talks agree with that.

There is some information about the Santiago Round at: http://tppwatch.org/ from Professor Jane Kelsey who is a stakeholder at the talks. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website has no information at this point but there is a little on the Australian Foreign Affairs site at: http://www.dfat.gov.au/fta/tpp/index.html including the submissions that have been made to the Australian Government.

This Free Trade Agreement has great potential for both good and for harm and New Zealand exporting companies of both goods and services need to be aware of these continuing negotiations. It is difficult to comment of course when there is no draft text upon which to comment!

NZTE Capability Development Vouchers

2011-02-16T09:23:00.000+13:00

Small businesses such as exporting companies with under 50 full-time employees, may qualify for vouchers to help pay for services such as training workshops, courses and coaching that build the management capabilities of their owners, operators and key managers.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Capability Development Vouchers are only available through Regional Business Partners around New Zealand. Regional Business Partners assess local businesses to determine what their needs are, and to assist them with a plan to help them develop, grow and innovate.

Vouchers may be allocated as part of a plan to help businesses pay for up to 50 percent of the cost of services (up to a maximum value of $5000 excluding GST) from registered providers that improve management capabilities in targeted areas.

For more information on the Capability Development Voucher Scheme or to find your Regional Business Partner go to:

http://www.business.govt.nz/growing/assessing-capacity-and-capability/regional-business-partners

Apples and NZ Being Sued by US Multi-nationals ?

2011-02-15T11:53:00.001+13:00

The International Economic Law and Policy Blog picks up many of the big trade issues that are being discussed in world fora. If you are interested you can subscribe to email notification when new posts are available. The Blog's URL is: http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/

Two of the recent issues that interested me were notification that Australia has until August 117th of this year to get organised to issue import permits for New Zealand apples. Here is the URL for that post:

http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/2011/02/implementing-australia-apples.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ielpblog+(International+Economic+Law+and+Policy+Blog)

The other is the investor-state dispute clause which allows multinational companies to sue governments if they lose profits as a result of new regulation - these are a feature of US trade deals. According to this post New Zealand could get itself involved in these through accepting this clause in the TPP talks. See the post for comments by John Key and Russel Norman:

http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/2011/02/update-on-new-zealand-and-investor-state.html?utm_source

Ceramics Exports to Australia, Canada, Japan – uncovering our trade history

2011-02-11T09:59:00.002+13:00

Photo: Three Colour glaze saucers by Crown Lynn. Graeme Siddle

Last week I visited the exhibition at the City Gallery in Wellington entitled Crown Lynn: Crockery of Distinction. Using examples of the wide range of ceramics produced, it tells the story of the Crown Lynn company from 1929 to 1989.

In the early 1930s New Zealand was an importer of porcelain, chinaware and stoneware products valued at £273, 621 from Britain (Source: The Case for Closer Trade with Britain. ELIS: 330.993 N545). However the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company Ltd run by the Clark family in New Lynn, Auckland, took advantage of the new market conditions created by the onset of war and import restrictions, and by 1946 100,000 pieces of china per week were being produced. The Crown Lynn name which became so well known in this country was launched in 1948.

In 1961 the first case of dinner-ware was exported signalling a move into overseas markets. In the mid-1960s Crown Lynn attempted unsuccessfully to export to the Japanese market, and investigated establishing a factory there. Considering the high value that was placed on the ceramic craft in Japan and the high esteem in which artisans such as Shoji Hamada were held, this was an extraordinary move. In spite of this failure, Crown Lynn’s exports doubled in 1966/67 – the main markets being Australia and Canada. As a result of these efforts the Trade Promotion Council presented Crown Lynn with an award for outstanding effort in the export field in 1969.

The company even expanded overseas and bought the Royal Grafton factory in Stoke-on-Trent , England and began producing fine bone china. In 1973 there was a joint venture in the Philippines called Mayon Ceramics.

Most New Zealand households had some Crown Lynn and many still do, even if it is only the cat’s saucer! Going around this exhibition was like going down memory lane. What was new was seeing the objects we didn’t recognise as Crown Lynn and learning about the history of a vibrant exporting company.

The lifting of import restrictions in the 1980s and opening of the market to foreign investors effectively removed the policies which protected Crown Lynn since the 1960s. In 1989 the factory closed and was subsequently destroyed by fire.

If you are an exporter, go along to the City Gallery in Wellington and see what this company achieved. The exhibition is well organised and curated and the booklet (free) is excellent. (Information Source: Crown Lynn: crockery of distinction. Wellington: City Gallery, 2011 ELIS: in processing)

IT Firm in Palmerston North does Dell deal

2011-02-09T13:48:00.001+13:00

Unlimited Realities, a New Zealand software company founded in 1996 in Palmerston North, New Zealand, has developed software which will be bundled on millions of computers sold by US manufacturer Dell. The company has built Dell Stage which will be installed on all Dell’s consumer market PCs.

Back in 2007 when the New Zealand School of Export was being founded, I talked with Russell Brebner about their export business. At that stage (July 2007) they were only exporting one product – their multimedia creativity software product Umajin. David Brebner participated in a trade mission to Japan in 2007 and Russell had already been to Korea. Russell described the atmosphere in the company as ‘very educational’ reflecting the nature of the Umajin product which was a one-stop shop for schools by bringing together a number of applications. The Umajin product website is still at www.umajin.com .

The company had two arms in 2007 ‘bespoke solutions’ and ‘the creative arm’. It expanded into international markets with its launch of Fingertapps in 2008 and currently a number of Fingertapps touchscreen products are listed on the website:

http://www .unlimitedrealities.com/about/company

Last year Unlimited Realities received the Most Innovative Software Product Award at the annual New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards for its Fingertapps multi-touch software product. The judges commented ‘ ‘Unlimited Realities’ are leading in their field, and their application is on the leading edge of the way we will interact with computers, telephones and entertainment devices.’ Unlimited Realities was also a finalist in the 2010 Red Herring Asia 100 awards in which New Zealand companies LanzaTech and Mi5 were winners.

Whanganui's Inland Container Terminal

2010-12-18T13:50:00.001+13:00

Photo: Graeme Siddle

This photo of containers in the Palmerston North railyards was taken from Tremaine Avenue on Friday 17 December, 2010. Having heard/read suggestions for an inland port for Palmerston North I googled ‘inland port palmerston north ‘ and found that on 7^th October, 2010, the Wanganui Chronicle announced the creation of an inland container terminal in Whanganui’s industrial area in an article by John Maslin - http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/local/news/inland-container-terminal-is-all-shipshape/3925469/

Train enthusiasts have posted some photos of the line to Castlecliff and the facilities at:

http://www.bettertransport.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2401

It appears then that Palmerston North has missed out on this opportunity and will instead consolidate its position as a distribution hub with a population catchment of over 1 million people.

Exporting companies are playing a key role in the Whanganui development. However there doesn’t seem be any information on the net about how the project is going and whether it is fully operational yet. Perhaps Whanganui readers of this blog or those interested may be able to contribute to this.

Learning languages follows trade deals?

2010-12-08T20:44:00.000+13:00

The Palmerston North Tribune recently (November 24, 2010) published an article about Dr Colin Anderson, retiring senior lecturer in languages at Massey University. He said that language studies follow fashions and trade deals. 'All BA students in the 1970s had to have a foreign language as part of their degree and many opted for French. In the 1980s that requirement was dropped, but emerging trade deals with Japan created demand for Japanese speakers. Something similar happened in the 1990s with more trade and contact with Latin America triggering demand for Spanish.' Dr Anderson said that he can see the next big push will be for Chinese. He also believes that children should start learning another language at eight or nine.
Since New Zealand has trade talks coming up with Russia will there be a renaissance of Russian teaching? Or will Korean studies be set up in one of our tertiary institutions?
It seems Dr Anderson is not alone in stressing the importance of teaching foreign languages. Japan's education minister Yoshiaki Takaki has said: "Since we are living in a globalized society, I am keenly aware of the necessity of children acquiring the ability to communicate in foreign languages." (Japan Times October 13, 2010)
Will New Zealand exporters be equipped first to negotiate deals with countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan and Korea, and then to carry on successful trade with them? Or will we expect these new trading partners to speak English?

TPP Talks in Auckland 6-10 December 2010

2010-12-07T21:04:00.000+13:00

You may have been wondering where to get further resources on the TPP talks which are currently being held in Auckland. The newspapers and news websites do have reports - by googling: tpp talks Auckland you will retrieve some information.

A website sponsored by a grant from the School of Law at the University of Auckland which has more comprehensive information is the Trans-Pacific Partnership Digest at:

http://p4tpp.dyndns.org/

As the name suggests it brings together information about the TPP – it tends to give space to those who oppose the TPP but as the talks are not open to the public, there is no information which can be given at the moment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade does have daily media briefings at this page:

http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/Trans-Pacific/index.php#tppround4

Trade in Waste

2010-11-29T13:54:00.000+13:00

Having fulminated earlier this month about the non-e-day we had in Palmerston North city, I was very interested to read in the IELP blog of the trade in waste which is happening between Japan and the Philippines. You can read it at: http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/2010/11/trade-in-everything-electronic-waste.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ielpblog+(International+Economic+Law+and+Policy+Blog)
There are some references to other posts at the bottom of Simon's post.

Of course China is the world's largest importer of the world's waste materials according to an article published in The Guardian Weekly on the 16th January 2010. China is reputed to take as a third of Britain's recyclables. However the economic downturn has affected this industry in China.

Unhealthy dependence on dairy exports???

2010-11-22T09:40:00.000+13:00

From the International Economic Law and Policy Blog 15 November 2010:

Exports and Domestic Demand

Posted by Simon Lester
President Obama:
"countries with large surpluses must shift away from an unhealthy dependence on exports and take steps to boost domestic demand".
Is domestic demand too low in China and other countries with trade surpluses? Or is domestic demand too high in the U.S. and other countries with trade deficits? How do we determine the appropriate level of domestic demand?

This blog is managed by WorldTradeLaw.net. You can find it at: http://worldtradelaw.typepad.com/ielpblog/
The 15 November posts also include one on the TPP which is a matter of debate for New Zealand.

Proposed new FTA between New Zealand and Russia

2010-11-15T09:45:00.000+13:00

I hope that our negotiators are aware of the following information in their work to get this FTA developed and signed:

Russia’s Doing Business Rating Falls Seven Points

Nov. 9 – Russia ranked only 123rd this year in an international rating of improving entrepreneurial conditions by country. The report was compiled by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation under the title, “Doing Business 2011: Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs.” The research involved 183 countries.

Compared to last year, Russia’s rating has fallen seven points. From the CIS, Russia is topped by Kazakhstan ranked 59th, which took top honors for the most-improved business environment in 2009-10, Belarus ranked 68th.

The top 10 leading reformers were Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Australia.

During the investigation period from June 2009 to June 2010, only two reforms were settled in Russia. The regulator eased construction permitting by implementing a one-stop shop for all procedures related to land use and introduced a series of legislative measures to improve creditor rights and the insolvency system.

At the same time, the construction permitting procedure is still one of the weakest points of doing business in Russia. The country ranks 182nd in that category.

Russian businessmen are spending 41.4 percent of their income on getting electricity, while in other countries businessmen spend an average of 6.8 percent of their income.

“To come to a building site in Moscow, a developer has to collect about 50 different signatures,” Anton Danilov-Danilyan from Delovaya Rosiiya criticizes.

It takes 30 days and demands nine different conciliatory procedures to start a business in Russia. By comparison, it takes just six procedures and 16 days to set up a business in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Russia did however receive appreciation for judicial maintenance of contracts execution and occupied 18th place in the annual survey. The cases are considered in 281 days (1.8 times faster than in OECD member-countries), and costs 13.4 percent from the claim price (19.2 percent).

“Probably, doing business in Russia is easier that is appears from the World Bank report, but on such ratings foreign investors size up the country, ” Igor Nikolays from FBK said, but “it does not matter what we think of our achievements. The matter is how we are estimated by others.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 at 6:23 am Russia Briefing

Global Entrepreneurship Week November 15-21

2010-11-09T12:32:00.000+13:00

GEW is the world's largest celebration on entrepreneurship and innovation with 88 countries participating. Have a look at www.unleashingideas.org to see what's going on. Palmerston North has a full programme organised by Vision Manawatu which you can see at their website www.visionmanawatu.org.nz and it's really great to see that. I have to say I was surprised to see that e-day seemed to pass unnoticed in this city - of course that is another story although it does have a connection with export products!

Guanxi

2010-10-21T11:29:00.000+13:00

It’s not about Guanxi. It’s about your Business Model and Due Diligence China Briefing News

If you are exporting to China, or thinking of exporting to China, have a look at this article. It is challenging to those of us who have pushed "guanxi" which in New Zealand is also New Zealand government agencies. On p.43 of New Zealand Trade & Enterprise's publication 'Navigating China - for New Zealand businesses' there are several sections on guanxi. It's worth looking at this and then again at the article in China Briefing News alongwith all the posts it has generated.

GoGlobal - Our forum for international business

2010-09-29T10:09:00.000+13:00

The national conference for exporters is being held in Auckland on Wednesday 27 October 2010. Export managers and leaders from key companies such as Comvita, Fonterra, Glidepath, Trilogy and Xero will be there sharing their knowledge and experience. For full details see the website: http://www.nzgoglobal.co.nz/

New Zealand School of Export Scholarships | KEA

2010-09-11T14:25:00.000+12:00

New Zealand School of Export Scholarships | KEA

FREE China City Guides

2010-09-08T13:53:00.000+12:00

City Guides : Asia Briefing Bookstore, Doing Business In Asia Resources

If you exporting to China already, or thinking about it, you might like to explore the possibility of getting one of these complimentary city guides. 27 cities are included in the list including Beijing.

Is Punctuation important for World Trade?

2010-08-31T14:40:00.001+12:00

Have a look at this post from

International Economic Law and Policy Blog: Textual Analysis in WTO Dispute Settlement: More Than Just Words

Obviously a colon can make a difference.

Counting Carbon in Exports

2010-08-25T09:26:00.000+12:00

This is an example of a carbon label which expresses the carbon footprint of a product. This issue is one which of real concern for New Zealand exporters. Free trade agreements may be all very well but instead we may be faced with non-tariff barriers.

You can read a short but useful article from International Trade Forum - the quarterly magazine of the International Trade Centre at:

http://www.tradeforum.org/news/printpage.php/aid/1545/Counting_Carbon_in_Exports:_Carbon_Footprinting_Initiatives_and_what_They_Mean_for_Exporters_in_Developing_Countries.html

Baltic Dry

2010-08-23T12:06:00.000+12:00

This sounds like a new beer but it actually refers to the Baltic Dry Index which measures the rates charged for chartering the ships which carry commodities such as coal, iron ore and grain.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2010/07/shipping_rates_slump

Library Week 2010 - Ask Me - Mode 4 Trade

2010-08-18T14:32:00.000+12:00

I came across a reference to 'Mode 4 trade' recently, so decided to set this as my question for Library Week 2010:

Q. What is Mode 4 trade?

A. This is defined as individuals moving across borders to deliver a service e.g. a construction worker or fruit-picker. This is officially known as ‘movement of natural persons.’

Source: http://www.migrationdrc.org/publications/briefing_papers/BP4.pdf

This source gives very useful information about all four of the modes as set out by GATS. Certainly we have Mode 4 trade going on in New Zealand where fruitpickers are hired to come and pick summer fruit or kiwifruit.

Library Week 2010 - Ask Me - APEC Travel Card

2010-08-17T13:25:00.000+12:00

An exporter has asked "what is an APEC Travel Card? What does it offer? and Who can apply for one?

The APEC Business Travel Card is used in conjunction with a passport and provides accedited business people streamlined access to participating countries such as the People's Republic of China. Cardholders get:

express immigration clearance through special APEC lanes on arrival and departure
no requirement to apply for visas or entry permits
multiple entry to participating countries for a stay of up to 90 days on each visit

Business people who are engaged in trade and investment acticities and who:

are nationals of the participating countries
travel frequently to conduct trade and investment in participating APEC countries, and
are of good character

can apply for the card. There is a $NZD150 fee. You can get a list of all the APEC countries and more information at:

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/apec/

One of our exporters reports that 'it is the best thing since sliced bread and is cheaper than visas and you get fast transit through airports.' It's obviously worth looking into.

Business Scholarships - Focus on Exporters

2010-08-17T09:08:00.000+12:00

Beehive - Better businesses aim of PM's Business Scholarships

This looks promising for the export sector.

New Zealand's Apple Dispute - WTO decision

2010-08-10T11:46:00.000+12:00

WTO 2010 News items - Panel report out on apple dispute

This is really making news today and you can read the WTO Panel Report here. This decision is important not only for New Zealand's relationship with Australia, but also potentially for China's apple industry which is the world's largest. See TVNZ's report: http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/wto-rules-favoour-nz-apple-row-3690076

QR codes

2010-08-04T14:02:00.000+12:00

This is the QR-code developed for the BBC in the UK. The latest issue of Exporter magazine has a useful article by Anthony Doesburg entitled: "The Viral Potential of QR Code for Product Marketing". (Issue 15 June Qtr 2010 p.22) He notes that the winemaker Giesen from Canterbury is about to start using codes on their wine bottles. The Giesen wine I looked at in the supermarket this week certainly didn't have them yet.

Has anyone had any experience of QR-codes within the exporting sector, or for non-profits? It would be great to hear from you/

International Trade Challenge

2010-07-26T09:27:00.000+12:00

Top Six Students Selected to Represent New Zealand at the Asia Pacific FedEx/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge | infonews.co.nz New Zealand's local news community

This is the second time New Zealand secondary school students have been represented at this competition. We wish them well.

Where We Are Now

2010-07-20T14:21:00.000+12:00

The New Zealand School of Export has just added a copy of this book to its collection - you can check it out at: http://ets.kohalibrary.com/

The section on Finance and Commerce covers: Money, Wealth, Debt, Globalization, Work, Advertising, Fair Trade, Arms and Organized Crime. If you are thinking or doing one of the School's courses: the Exporter Growth Programme, or, the Diploma of International Trade, this chapter would be great as background for the first Module: Global Business Environment.

You can check out the contents of this Module at:
http://www.export.ac.nz/whatcanyoustudywiththenewzealandschoolofexport.html

'Where We Are Now' has great graphics and presents information in a way that makes you say: "I didn't know that". My only gripe with what is an excellent resource is that New Zealand doesn't seem to figure at all!

Inventing the 21st Century - London Exhibition

2010-07-14T12:03:00.000+12:00

Inventing the 21st Century

If you are going to be in London between the 6 September and the 28 November 2010, why not visit the British Library and have a look at this exhibition. It tells you the stories behind the inventions of this, the first decade of the 21st century.

This exhibition is supported by the British Library's Business & IP Centre which you can check out at: http://www.bl.uk/bipc/

Business Link - do you get it?

2010-07-07T12:12:00.000+12:00

Have you subscribed to MFAT's newsletter Business Link? It is available electronically and you can subscribe by emailing your name, business and email address to: tplu@mfat.govt.nz

The June/July issue has just come out and it is really valuable round-up of all that is going on with trade agreement negotiations as well as a good source on MFAT's Roadshows. The Papua New Guinea ones have just started with Hamilton and Tauranga tomorrow 8 July and Auckland on the 9th. As well there will be Intellectual Property in Brazil seminars next week 13-16 July in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Wellington.

I think it is really worthwhile and because it is delivered to you electronically - you can discard if there is nothing on your market!

International Mobility

2010-07-05T21:46:00.000+12:00

Witht the increasing emphasis on New Zealand exporting companies having a presence in the world and particularly in their export markets, it is highly likely that employees of those companies will be asked to work overseas. This may be part of setting up and staffing an office in a new marekt, or it may be part of a joint venture or offshore manufacturing plant.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in the UK has developed a resource called "International Mobility" which, while it reflects its UK origins and audience, is useful in any of these situations where staff might move from home to a new export market to work.

It includes a series of checklists under the headings:

Preparation and planning
Remuneration, benefits and allowances
Guarantees of success

Such a resource is recommended if your company is in this situation and especially if you don't have an HR department. For further information about this resource contact: library@export.ac.nz

Whanganui Matters

2010-07-04T19:45:00.000+12:00

A group of people in Whanganui have just issued the first number of this magazine called "Wanganui Matters or Whanganui matters" sub-titled 'Wanganui's signature business and lifestyle magazine'. The cover features some examples of the glass objects coming from Whanganui's Glass School.

Inside there are articles about manufacturing companies who are exporting such as GDM Group, a piece about the Lean Wanganui Group which is based on Demming's 'Lean Philosophy' and mention of a trade training school which has been established.

It's great to see a small city such as Whanganui telling the world what's happening there and especially about its exporters. Watch out for a copy. ELIS can provide you with a copy of the Table of Contents or articles of relevance to you and your business activity - email: library@export.ac.nz

Surface Trade

2010-06-23T10:02:00.000+12:00

An update which I received from the II-EI in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this month had a heading which grabbed my attention. It read:

March 2010 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 37.0 Percent from March 2009

It was the phrase surface trade which did the grabbing! Of course it means trade using surface transportation between the US and its NAFTA partners. I realised that New Zealand doesn't have surface trade to anywhere becasue we aren't connected to any other landmass! Well not until there is a bridge to Australia which is our major export partner - it could be called the CER Bridge. That's Closer Economic Relations for readers not in Australia or New Zealand and was the title of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries signed in 1983.

The devaluation of "export" in advertising, or is it fair enough?

2010-06-21T10:05:00.000+12:00

Have you seen advertising which includes the word 'export' where its use is meant to endorse the value of the product or service? The star shape is often used - presumably to enhance the quality message.

Or have you seen the word 'export' used as an adjective on an actual product or on its packaging? Another variation you may have come across is 'Returned export order' or 'Surplus to export order'.

Do we ever pause to think what this use of 'export' means?   Does it devalue real exports?   Are we taken in by these uses of the word 'export' because we think that exports are always the top quality, the best our country can produce? Maybe they are and therefore we are not taken in ?
Who assesses export quality?   Is there a generally applied meaning for this which is - 'of the highest quality' - as it applies to individual products?   Or is it simply loose use of language to dupe the consumer?

What do you think?   Is there a case to answer for the deliberate misuse of the word 'export' or is it fair enough?

How does manufacturing measure up?

2010-06-17T21:10:00.001+12:00

If you are a manufacturer and an exporter, you may be interested in a new report called Management Matters in New Zealand. It shares the results of a project which benchmarked management practices in New Zealand manufacturing firms against global standards.
It goes without saying that if companies are not managed effectively this affects every aspect of production through to export delivery.
The report has been published as a pdf on the Ministry of Economic development website and you can access it through ELIScat - click on this URL:
http://ets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=859

If you need to get started with benchmarking, look at the New Zealand School of Export's website at:
http://www.export.ac.nz/findinginformation.html#Benchmark

Russia New Zealand FTA

2010-06-04T12:17:00.000+12:00

http://admin.beehive.govt.nz/release/new+zealand-russia+begin+fta+scoping+discussions

Did you see this announcement on the Beehive website about the beginning of discussions for a bilateral agreement between Russia and New Zealand?

An article in the Dominion Post newspaper this morning suggested that such a deal would pave the way for Russia to join Asia-Pacific trade arrangements. It also lists trade opprtunities in such product areas as clothing & textiles, foodstuffs & beverages, education and the creative industries.

As with the already signed China Free Trade Agreement, it raises a myriad of questions as to whether New Zealand should enter into such agreements and with which countries.

Budget 2010 - a late comment

2010-05-29T14:49:00.002+12:00

The Budget summary despatched by local National candidate for the last election Malcolm Plimmer included this statement under the heading: Biggest tax reform in 25 years

Tax package provides incentives for Kiwis to get ahead, leaves the vast majority better off and tilts the economy towards savings, exports and productive investment

Tilts! It is not geared to produce much more than a gentle lean! Exporters needed a shove in the economy not a tilt!