Here's An Idea

Photo source: Port of Tauranga

 Prompted by the current wave of industrial unrest at the Ports of Auckland,  it has occurred to me that maybe there should only be one major port in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand  and that this should be at the Port of Tauranga.
Auckland on the Waitemata Harbour could become a freight collection centre and Auckland and the Port of Tauranga could be linked by a yet to be constructed new high-speed rail line for freight.  This line would be  a new route and would be more direct than the current route via Hamilton. This would have a number of benefits:

• it would consolidate Tauranga's position as a port and port city 
• it would mean that shipping companies could focus on one port in the north of New Zealand
• since Tauranga is more or less equidistant between Auckland and Hamilton it would draw on both cities and regions
• construction of a high speed rail link between the two cities would provide jobs for the construction industries
• Auckland City could focus on its relationship with its harbour which is in danger of being eroded as the Port indicates that it needs further land for development.

In 2011 container volumes at the Port of Tauranga rose by 15% and represented more than 40% of the Port's total trade.  Transhipped tonnage also increased in 2011 as did transhipped containers.

Information Source: Stevenson, R. (2011) Focus on container trade brings 'cracker' result for Port of Tauranga. IN Dominion Post 19 August p.C1

What do you think?

China and World Trade

Another China WTO Loss. Another Nail In The Coffin Of World Trade. : China Law Blog : China Law for Business

This post on China Law Blog by Steve Dickinson is worth reading; the way that China deals with its rare earths trade has also been the subject of posts on the IELP blog. It's ironic that we read information such as this when the 2nd National China Business Symposium opens in Auckland on Thursday 1 March 2012.

This symposium is organised by the NZCTA and the New Zealand China Contemporary Research Centre specifically for those who are engaged in trade with China and for academics who wish to test academic research with what actually happens in the market place. The theme of the Symposium is Successful Branding and Channel Management in China. It will be interesting to see if concerns over China's membership of the WTO surface.

Exporting fun and fictional characters

New Zealand author Joy Cowley's character Mrs Wishy-Washy is a big export!  According to the Success feature writer Nick Smith in the New Zealand Herald last week Chinese children know who Mrs Wishy-Washy is; but not only is she known in China but in the United Arab Emirates, Korea, Canada and the US.
The Mrs Wishy-Washy series of readers for children are published by Clean Slate Press an Auckland company  New Zealand owned and operated company which publishes high-quality educational resources, both for New Zealand schools and the international market.  See http://cleanslatepress.com/
Clean Slate is now a multi-million dollar business selling titles primarily to early education markets in the US, Canada and  Australia.
Obviously the value of the export of these early education readers can be quantified, but what can't be put into dollar terms is the value of the character and its creator, Joy Cowley, for its promotion of New Zealand's creative industries.

Source: Smith, N. (2012) Lovable character key to publisher's success. In The Business Herald p.11 published Friday February 24, 2012.

Abel Tasman

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

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