Google Street View

Have you searched for your house on Street View yet? There is a link on Quicklinks on the School website now, but here it is for anyone who wants to get into it now:

http://maps.google.co.nz/help/maps/streetview/

There is help available for first time users.

It could be of use to the exporter who is looking for a competitor's premises, checking out a supplier etc. Thousands of locations in United States, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Japan are covered. It is best to have the exact street number in order to get the quickest result, but you can search using words as well e.g. exporters. As you know, it is causing people to question whether or not it breaches privacy laws. What do you think?

Graeme

World Trade Finance

Some of you who have been following the financial ups and downs over the past months may be interested in this post by Pascal Lamy - Director-General of the WTO, to the Ideas for Development blog:

http://www.ideas4development.org/getting-worse-before-it-gets-better-trade-finance-and-the-risks-caused-by-risk/en/

It is entitled Getting worse before it gets better: trade finance and the risks caused by risk.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Pascal_Lamy.jpg

Another Review - are you already exporting to Australia?

Under CER the trade in goods and services between Australia and New Zealand has been steadily growing: see the graph from www.austrade.gov.au/CER/

The Ministry of Economic Development and MFAT are seeking the views of exporters and importers on the new Rules of Origin (ROO) which were introduced on 1 Janaury 2007. Details are available electronically from the MED website: www.med.govt.nz/upload/44133/anzcerta-roo-schedule.pdf

If you would like further liberalisation of the CER Rules of Origin you may like to send a submission:

By email to: nick.kirton@med.govt.nz

By post to: CER ROO Review
Ministry of Economic Development
P.O.Box 1437,
Wellington Attn: Nick Kirton

What are your views on free trade negotiations between P4 and the US?

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking for submissions on the upcoming free trade negotiations between the US and the four member countries of P4 - the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Singapore).

The existing agreement proposes the complete removal of traiffs on trade between the four partner countries by 2017. The US is now considering whether it will join in the agreement and begin to phase out tariffs for products from the P4 countries.

While the focus has been mostly on the potential removal of the significant barriers New Zealand faces on its agricultural exports to the US, there is also potential for gains for exporters of manufactured products and services.

Submissions can be made directly to the Ministry by Monday 8 December and should be sent to:

Email: ftp4@mfat.govt.nz
Post: Trans-Pacific Agreement Submissions
FTP4
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Private Bag 18901
Wellington

Or you can fill out the online submission form at:

www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/Trans-pacific/Forms/submission-form.php

Who is the new Minister of Trade?

Answer: Tim Groser.

Here is his Parliamentary website: http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=15702

World's Most Stable Banking Systems

As we head into Saturday's election and maybe rocky times ahead for the economy and international trade, some of you might find this post on Daniel Workman's Blog interesting:

http://www.suite101.com/blog/daniel2006/2008

And yes New Zealand is on the list - have a look at the post.

Graeme

More on FTAs

Certificates of Origin
For those of you who are already exporting to China, or hoping to export to China: did you know that from the 1st of October this year you will need a Certificate of Origin if you want to take advantage of the preferential access provided by the New Zealand-China FTA? The New Zealand Chambers of Commerce is an approved certification body. You can contact your local Chamber, or phone 0800 EXPORT (0800 397 678). Also see www.newzealandchambers.co.nz

Is New Zealand the only country so focused on FTAs?
Having just been away overseas I have discovered that we aren't. In September Japan for example has negotiated deals with both Switzerland and Vietnam to conclude bilateral free-trade agreements. Switzerland would be the first industrialized country to conclude a free-trade agreement with Japan which already has agreements with nine economies.
Source: Japan Times 30 September, 2008 p.9

Graeme