BusinessWorldOnline, October 31, 2016 - EXPORTERS to New Zealand (NZ) are not maximizing that country’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the ASEAN region, in force since 2010, a trade official said.
Agnes Perpetua R. Legaspi, Assistant Director of the Export Marketing Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry, said more can be done for the goods and services being exported to New Zealand.
“I think what they also need to appreciate is we have an existing agreement,” she told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a business forum on Oct. 25.
She was referring to the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), which would have the Philippines eliminate tariffs on 94.59% of tariff lines by 2020, while Australia and New Zealand would remove the tariffs on all tariff lines in the next four years.
“The New Zealand market is strict. It’s like other developed countries. So they need compliance. If you’re producing fresh marine products, they need that (as well as) our fresh fruits, processed nuts and fruits.”
“New Zealand is only 4.5 million people... their capacity to absorb (is) not that big. That’s why it needs to be niche. So organics... are what we need to pursue,” she said, noting that exports in marine, aquaculture, fresh and processed food would benefit.
Philippine Statistics Authority data show that the Philippines has consistently imported more from than it exported to New Zealand since 2011.
Total trade fell 4.05% from 2011 to 2015, pulled down by a 4.72% decrease in Philippine imports while slightly propped up by a 2.91% increase in exports.
Fresh and dried banana, including plantain, account for the top Philippine export to New Zealand in 2015, valued at $8.78 million or 17.44% of total outbound shipments. Lead-acid, of a kind used for starting piston engines, follow with a 13.58% market share which is valued at $6.83 million.
On the other hand, milk and cream are the country’s top import from New Zealand, valued at $80.65 million or 18.67% of total imports. Fats and oils derived from milk account for the second largest import worth $74.63 million or 17.27%.
New Zealand was 29th among the country’s trading partners in 2015.
The Trade department has been encouraging exporters to take advantage of the market potential in New Zealand, not just because of the benefits afforded by the FTA, but also because the its business environment had been regarded by many as one of the world’s best.
In the World Bank-International Finance Corp. Doing Business report, New Zealand ranked first among 190 economies surveyed, which means its regulatory environment is most conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. -- Roy Stephen C. Canivel
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Oct. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Harcros Chemicals Inc. and Cathay Industries Australasia have announced an agreement that will bring Harcros-manufactured products to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands with Cathay Industries acting as its exclusive representative.
This strategic partnership's primary focus will be the introduction of specialty surfactants and chemicals for the construction, household & institutional, ink & coatings industries to the South Pacific market. It will also allow Harcros' growing profile of international customers better ease-of-access to Harcros-manufactured products and provide Cathay's customers access to new product lines.
This partnership with Cathay, based in Sydney, Australia, further strengthens Harcros' position in the international market and reinforces Harcros' commitment to global service and strategy. In addition, this rapidly expanding international presence and distribution partner network provides Harcros the ability to deliver manufactured products to over 24 countries and reaffirm its leadership in the global chemical manufacturing market.
Harcros Vice President of Manufacturing Peter Radford Ph.D. was quoted saying, "We are excited to have a position back in the Australian market and we firmly believe that our partnership with Cathay Industries is an outstanding fit for both companies."
$93 million facility bolsters parcel carrier's capacity to meet growing regional trade
DHL Express has opened its new South Asia hub in Singapore as part of its efforts to take advantage of the region's growing cross-border trade.
The $93 million facility, located in the Changi Airfreight Center (CAC) at Changi International Airport, is widely expected to bolster the multinational express service provider's capacity to process the increasing number of mail and parcels moving to and from, or within, South Asia.
The hub, which operates 24 hours a day, is equipped with the industry's first fully automated express parcel-sorting and -processing system in the region, according to company executives, who said it has boosted the firm's operational capacity and efficiency, offering speedier delivery for customers.
"Over the years, we have invested significantly to bolster our network and services in the Asia-Pacific region," DHL Express CEO Ken Allen said during a ceremony to mark the opening of the firm's new logistics hub in the city state on Oct. 18.
"Our investment in DHL's South Asia hub is the most recent in a series of global network investments made, and is the largest infrastructural investment in Singapore to date," Allen said. "The country's strategic location not only boosts our operational network capabilities, but also supports growing trade in the region aided by a stronger global economy."
The CEO said the time is right for DHL Express to open the new logistics hub as it has recorded a strong growth in shipments in recent years, particularly in the southern part of the Asia-Pacific region. Between 2012 and 2015, the average daily shipments for Australia and New Zealand grew about 50 percent and South Asia 30 percent.
DHL Express employees handle parcels at the firm's newly-opened logistics hub near Changi International Airport in Singapore. / Courtesy of DHL Express
The new facility, built on a 23,600-square-meter site, is 33 percent larger than the previous facility, providing the company with additional capacity to handle the growing volume of shipments with regional and international destinations.
Its location within the CAC, a 24-hour free trade zone, improves the flow of goods to and from cargo planes, and allows consignments to be shipped or transshipped within an hour, DHL Express said.
"The new South Asia hub is a significant milestone in further enhancing our multi-hub strategy in the region," DHL Express Asia Pacific CEO Ken Lee said. "With the other three hubs in the Asia Pacific ― Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok ― the facility links over 70 DHL Express gateways throughout the region. It also allows us to add more network flights in and out of Singapore as regional trade continues to grow."
The Singapore hub, which employs 250 workers, can process up to 24,000 shipments and documents per hour and can handle more than 628 tons of cargo during the peak processing window. Its processing speed is also six times faster, while handling capacity is three times larger, compared to manual operations in the previous facility.
The increased efficiency is achieved from the improved sorting speed and accuracy of the automated system. Multidimensional tunnel scanners accelerate barcode reading, while automated X-ray machines scan packages up to three times faster than previous systems.
The facility is also powered by solar energy, which supplies about 20 percent of the hub's total energy consumption. These automation systems enhance productivity, enabling employees to focus on higher value tasks such as risk mitigation to avoid potential shipment delays, issues management and additional security inspections.
DHL Express is a division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world's largest logistics company.
With about 340,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade to flow.
With specialized services for growth markets and industries including technology, energy, automotive, retail and life sciences and healthcare, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivaled presence in developing markets, the group generated more than $64 billion in sales in 2015.
A DHL press release
KOOKABURRA has made several changes to the way it makes its traditional red cricket balls in the wake of last summer’s Test debacle at the WACA Ground.
The balls had to be regularly changed throughout the match after players complained they were going soft, with one new ball abandoned after just six overs.
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor described one of the offending balls as a “bean bag’’ after a close-up inspection.
The latest balls will be used in the First Test between Australia and South Africa starting at the WACA Ground on Thursday.
Kookaburra Group spokesman Shannon Gill said the manufacturer remained puzzled following an analysis of the problem balls from Perth last summer, which revealed “nothing alarming’’.
Gill said they had introduced “three or four strengthening procedures for the leather’’.
“We’re always looking at ways to improve the manufacturing process and there’s no question that the Perth experience made us look at that even more closely,’’ he said.
“We’ve added some further quality control measures and components to the manufacturing process that won’t change the look and feel of the ball, but we think will help the durability of it.
Oceania Free Trade will give Lowlands a conflict-free market zone which Canada deal will not
The EU’s stop-go trade deal with Canada points up the obvious advantages that the Lowlands, notably Belgium, will derive from a similar such arrangement with New ZealandThe Walloons, the Belgium-region which vetoed the Canadian deal, has been scorned for its obstructionism. Yet in fact a single market with Canada poses immense problems to Belgium which was once the European powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution.
Here are some of them:-
Now in beneficial contrast let us look at what the pending New Zealand – EU holds in store for the Walloons and everyone else in the EU zone:-
If the Walloons are still wallowing in any misconception about the straight-out benefits of the New Zealand arrangement then they can comfort themselves in some historical background. This might include for example the fact that both countries are roughly the same age, having been founded in the middle of the 1800s.
Both countries can thank Britain’s Lord Palmerston for their existence. It was Lord Palmerston who organised the carving out of Belgium from the Netherlands. Similarly Lord Palmerston’s hand was evident in the creation of New Zealand where he is celebrated with a number of place-names.
From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk - Sunday 31 October 2016
Oceania Free Trade will give Lowlands a conflict-free market zone which Canada deal will not
The EU’s stop-go trade deal with Canada points up the obvious advantages that the Lowlands, notably Belgium, will derive from a similar such arrangement with New ZealandThe Walloons, the Belgium-region which vetoed the Canadian deal, has been scorned for its obstructionism. Yet in fact a single market with Canada poses immense problems to Belgium which was once the European powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution.
Here are some of them:-
Now in beneficial contrast let us look at what the pending New Zealand – EU holds in store for the Walloons and everyone else in the EU zone:-
If the Walloons are still wallowing in any misconception about the straight-out benefits of the New Zealand arrangement then they can comfort themselves in some historical background. This might include for example the fact that both countries are roughly the same age, having been founded in the middle of the 1800s.
Both countries can thank Britain’s Lord Palmerston for their existence. It was Lord Palmerston who organised the carving out of Belgium from the Netherlands. Similarly Lord Palmerston’s hand was evident in the creation of New Zealand where he is celebrated with a number of place-names.
From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk - Sunday 31 October 2016
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242