New website: Doing Business with New Zealand

Photo of Civic Square, Wellington 19 February 2009.  Photographer: Nzgrobanite. Source: Wikimedia Commons
The MarketNewZealand website has been re-launched with a new name: Doing Business with New Zealand and a new URL: http://business.newzealand.com/

This site is a good first source of information about doing business with New Zealand companies.   It gives background information on the New Zealand economy and export industries.

It's the right time to enrol in the Diploma of International Trade

With our flexistart enrolment system, the next Diploma programme offered by the New Zealand School of Export will begin on April 1st, 2010.  If you have been holding back, letting the year get underway, NOW is good.   To obtain an enrolment form go to:

http://www.export.ac.nz/enrolnow.html

If you have any questions please contact us, or if you want to see how studying for the Diploma has been for others, read their endorsements.  A number of these exporters have now completed the Diploma.

http://www.export.ac.nz/endorsements.html

Contact details for the New Zealand School of Export are on the sidebar, or on our website at: http://www.export.ac.nz/contactus.html

And don't forget that we have Scholarships available too - check these at: http://www.export.ac.nz/financialassistance.html

New Zealand Hong-Kong CEP signed?

This week Minister of Trade Tim Groser has gone to Hong Kong and it is expected that the Hong Kong New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership will be signed.   Neither the MFAT site or the Beehive website had any information on that at the time that I am writing this post.

The MFAT website does of course have information on the agreement to be signed at:

http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/Hong-Kong/index.php  and  New Zealand and Hong Kong recently signed an Arrangement on Cooperation in Wine-related Business and have concluded negotiations for an Arrangement on Cooperation between Audio-Visual (Film and Digital Entertainment) Industries.

There is a report on the expecting signing at:
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/hong-kong-free-trade-agreement-be-signed-120487

Given the importance of Hong Kong not only in trade, and perhaps in the freedom of information, this agreement is potentially really important.

Revised Edition of Export Support Pathfinder in ELIS

If you have used the Export Support Pathfinder which was last revised in 2009, please download the newly revised version which was put on the School website on 24 March 2010.   Some organisations which are no longer operating have been deleted and two new business councils which can offer support to exporters were added.

Go to the FREE Downloads page at: http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html
and update this resource NOW.  

If you know of other organisations which could be service to the international trade community and which could enhance this Pathfinder, please let me know email: graeme@export.ac.nz

Business teaching at University

Recently we had a visitor from North America at the NZ School of Export, and in the course of chatting our Director Rom Rudzki made this statement:

'business should not be taught in universities'

This is a pretty challenging thought since many exporters will have done business degrees in our universities or polytechnics.   Did your business course make you think?  Has it served you well in your own business?  Let us know what you think - post a comment NOW

Updated Pathfinder on NZ Government & Legislation NOW AVAILABLE

Go to http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html to get the newly revised edition of the New Zealand Government & Legislation Pathfinder.   If you have already downloaded the 2008 version, please replace it with the 2010 edition which contains new and revised material.   For those involved in international trade it is essential to keep abreast of government changes and initiatives.  Using this Pathfinder is a quick way of knowing where to go and which websites to look at.

Who Exports to China?

Ever wondered who exports to China?  There are obviously many New Zealand companies who are, but whom we don't hear about.  The New Zealand School of Export has compiled a preliminary list of small and medium enterprises who are currently exporting to China.   It is available on the FREE Downloads page at:

http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html

If you can add to the information on this list, your information would be gratefully received.

Nuggets of Information for the Exporter

Photo from Wikimedia Commons by Ikiwaner.

Every now and again one finds pieces of information which are nuggets - really worthwhile pieces that should be shared either by blogging them or emailing on to a colleague or printing off for sending around the staff.

Such a piece comes from David Mahon Managing Director, Mahon China Investment Management Limited. He has written a short piece entitled China and New Zealand.   Probably there is nothing entirely new in it but its brevity and encouraging tone is worth reading and thinking about.  It is not often that the Government and Public Service get accolades like this:  New Zealand's trade policy and ongoing diplomacy is, however, well ahead of the nations's companies in China.

It is also challenging: 'Brand New Zealand' has yet to be established in China in many industries; now is the time to do so.   

The bit that caught my eye was:  New Zealand companies need not wait for Chinese investors to seek them out; they should instead be assessing the relevant sectors in China and undertaking due diligence...


You can find  the full text at:


http://www.mahonchina.com/ChinaNZ/China%20and%20New%20Zealand%20Report.pdf

 

Seaweek 2010: Fish for the Future - “Tiakina ngā tupuranga whakaheke” March 7-14, 2010

 

Seaweek is an annual event run by the NZ Association for Environmental Education that allows New Zealanders to come together and, celebrate the sea. It provides a wide range of opportunities for people to learn about our fantastic marine environment and share their experiences of the sea. Seaweek is about exciting and inspiring all New Zealanders to renew their connection with the sea. It’s not just for children or those involved with formal education – it’s a time for all of us to get to know our ocean, its habits, characteristics and inhabitants. As exporters we are very dependent on the sea – it is part of our supply chain.  Seaweek 2010 might be used by us to think about whether those involved with international trade take the sea and its shores for granted?  Do our shippers respect the sea as a shared environment?   Do the vessels used to ship our goods harm the environment? . The photo above which comes from Wikimedia Commons shows the  container ship (the Kota Jaya,under a Hong Kong flag) in the Port of Auckland, Auckland City, New Zealand. It was taken on 18 March 2008 by Ingolfson(?)  who has released the photo for public use. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ports_of_Auckland_Container_Shipping.jpg.

Chile Trade Statistics 2009: Major Chilean Exports Include Fruits, Copper and Fish

While Chile copes with the aftermath of the deadly earthquake and tsunami, and the Western Pacific thinks about its response to consequent tsunami warnings, it is worth thinking about Chile's international trading situation as compiled by Daniel Workman:


Chile Trade Statistics 2009: Major Chilean Exports Include Fruits, Copper and Fish

ACTA Negotiations - Call for submissions

The following is the call for submissions from the Minister of Commerce on the next round of negotiations of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.  These negotiations have caused some disquiet in the past and it is worth reading the Ministry of Economic Development's background material.

Minister calls for submissions on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
2 March 2010


Commerce Minister Simon Power is calling for submissions on a range of intellectual property proposals in the digital arena to help develop the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
This is the third round of public consultations on ACTA, and New Zealand will be hosting Round 8 of the ACTA negotiations in Wellington from 12-16 April.
Digital enforcement measures will be one of the topics that will be discussed by delegations from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, Morocco, and the US.
“Intellectual property rights infringement is changing in nature with the development of technology. Therefore, enforcement measures need to be constantly reviewed to ensure they remain effective.
“I encourage interested parties to provide submissions to help set a higher benchmark for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.”

The Ministry of Economic Development’s discussion paper can be found at: http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentTOC____42582.aspx

Submissions about digital enforcement can be sent to: trademarks@med.govt.nz

The closing date for submissions is Wednesday 31 March 2010.

New Zealand India Free Trade Agreement

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is still keen to hear from any interested exporters with regard to the NZ-India FTA.   If you are keen to make a submission send it in by 15 March 2010.

You can use the form at: http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/India/index.php to make your submission.