Although Simpro has a global supply chain, our highest-volume products are still manufactured in Auckland, New Zealand. In a globalised world, it may seem incongruous to manufacture machinery in an isolated first-world nation whose largest exports are milk and tourism.
But we’ve stayed in New Zealand for good reasons:
Of course, our customers always come first, and global supply chains play a key role for every manufacturing business today. But Simpro will always maintain a core capability in New Zealand – because in a genericised, mass-produced world, we believe it gives us an important competitive edge. You can link through to the Simpro website here
United States foreign worker clampdown will boost US milk production costs
MSCNewsWire - Nov 10, 2016 / New Zealand’s primary produce export opportunities are more likely to rise rather than decline with the election of Donald Trump as United States President. The reason is that the incoming president as a priority has the dismantling of the confrontation between the US and Russia.
The economic component of this stand-off is the United States-led embargo on exports to Russia. A détente will open up Russia especially to exports from the EU which is the United States main partner in the embargo.
The lifting of the embargo will introduce the free flow of food exports from EU nations into Russia. The problem for New Zealand since the embargo was installed is that the EU food exports, notably milk, have backed up all over Europe instead of going to Russia.
For its part Russia in defiance has enforced the embargo by destroying EU foodstuffs with back door labeling or being shipped under proxy bills of lading. French foodstuffs carrying face value Moroccan origination are just one example of this.
The dissolving of the US led embargo on Russia will also allow New Zealand which is also a partner in the embargo to start trading again directly with Russia.
New Zealand participation in this trade embargo with its self-damaging results has long been cloaked in a conspiracy of silence. Politicians and exporters alike have kept their mouths shut for fear of US reprisals.
Even though the incoming president has promised to scrap United States trade treaties in order to build US domestic employment, the abandonment of the Trans Pacific trade agreement signed by all participating countries in Auckland earlier this year is unlikely to present a serious problem to New Zealand exports.
The legislation attendant on the treaty is subject to a lengthy clearance process having only just navigated its latest reading in the New Zealand parliament. Other countries will take years to approve it. Critics claim that the Trans Pacific trade deal, and other such US treaties with other countries merely double up on what has already been achieved under the WorldTrade Organisation among other such bodies.
An additional point, and one that may make a President Trump resist pulling the plug on it is that the Pacific agreement is primarily viewed as a device by the United States to preserve its global supremacy in currency leadership. At least 80 percent of world trade is carried out in the USD and the United States is determined to stop China taking any part of this share with its own rival currency..
Meanwhile the central theme of Trump policy, curbs on immigration, is likely to add to the value of New Zealand primary products. This is because in the United States Mexico is the home of much of the US milk workforce at every phase.
A reliance on United States nationals to do the work will add greatly to the costs at every stage of US milk production.
From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk / Thursday 10 November 2016
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Thursday 10 November 2016Last updated: 1543_____________________________________
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- A new approach to safer speeds
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- Official Cash Rate reduced to 1.75 percent
- NZ dollar falls as greenback recovers, markets see positives for US growth in Trump win
- While you were sleeping: Stocks, greenback climb
- 'We owe him the chance to lead'
- Two new skills hubs announced in Auckland
- Government targets 50,000 apprentices
- 'Resentment vote' could see governments replacing central banks
- US Secretary of State John Kerry quietly slips into NZ ahead of historic Antarctica visit
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- Do not be afraid of defeat. you are never so near victory as when defeated in a good cause - Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887)
_____________________________________- New Zealand's population today is 4,730,898 286 more than yesterday_____________________________________
Quotes From The Don:
“I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.” - Donald Trump US Presidential Elections 2016_____________________________________
Although Simpro has a global supply chain, our highest-volume products are still manufactured in Auckland. In a globalised world, it may seem incongruous tomanufacture machinery in an isolated first-world nation whose largest exports are milk and tourism.
But we’ve stayed in New Zealand for good reasons:
Of course, our customers always come first, and global supply chains play a key role for every manufacturing business today. But Simpro will always maintain a core capability in New Zealand – because in a genericised, mass-produced world, we believe it gives us an important competitive edge. You can link through to the Simpro website here
Firstly, polls can get it wrong, particularly when turnout is low, or people are ashamed to admit who they are voting for.
In the 80’s America had their own version of Rogernomics; Reagenomics. Much like here a lot of the reform was sorely needed, but it left some socia l wounds that have since festered. Now we are seeing the outcome of that.
The idea of Reaganomics (like Rogernomics and Ruthenasia) was that if you freed up the economy, people would create more wealth, and that extra wealth would eventually benefit everyone (trickle down). The trouble is that trickle down hasn’t worked. In this country most of that wealth has gone into housing speculation, pushing up the cost of living for everyone.
Trickle down hasn’t worked in the United States either, and for way too long the Establishment Parties in America haven’t done anything about it. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Backblocks America - including on motorcycle trips - and what has always astounded me is the disconnect between those Backblocks and the seaboard states where the bankers and the tech gurus dwell. It’s like two different worlds.
It is the same here in New Zealand where the Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland elite are quite separated from the provinces; or even from the working class suburbs of their own cities. No matter how ‘cool’ we think Mr Obama is – he has simply pissed too many people off, and at the end of the day there is only one America.
The same backlash could hit here, given our own big, lumbering Establishment parties that really have not served the provinces that well. You cannot have an economy “doing well” when the salaries of the bankers, senior civil servants and the upper tranches of the corporate world are capturing the benefits of that and multiplying it through property speculation. Trickle down is a farce, the ballot box eventually tells the truth.
The difference is that New Zealand has more time; thankfully we are not in the position that the United States is in yet. We need to take action to prevent the same thing happening here, but that means ending the cosy two party system we have. We need to make these Establishment Party-led governments respond to the needs of New Zealanders way sooner than it has taken the US - or the UK - to respond. We do not want an extremist being the eventual response to electorate frustration with ‘the steady as she goes’ policy negligence of a John Key-style governments. How many more elections before that’s inevitable? Form your own view.
Trump is an extremist, not a radical, an extremist. We have to hope, hope and hope again that his rhetoric is not translated into action lest that leads to a very ugly clash with America as the footsoldiers of extremism take the law into their own hands under the belief they too now have a mandate to act outside the law. We have to hope that his infatuation with Putin isn’t a love affair but rather only adulation of him for being ‘tough’. A ‘tough’ antidote to Putin would not necessarily be bad. There is so much we have to hope for with President Trump that one has to have doubts that all those hopes will be realised.
Finally, what does this mean for New Zealand? It seems firstly that the TPPA is dead in the water. Ironic isn’t it that New Zealanders were concerned we weren’t getting enough out of it, we were afraid of United States corporates having too much power, and in the end it is the United States that buries it.
If Mr Trump is true to his word – which only time will tell – then we can safely forget about the United States for a few years while their focus turns inward. New Zealand’s future for trade and diplomacy moves squarely toward Asia. It will be interesting to see what that means for the United States’ position in the world.
The more concerning thing is what this means to the world’s greatest challenge – climate change. After just being ratified, the Paris Agreement is already looking very shaky.
An Opportunity Party Release
Auckland, New Zealand, 2016-Nov-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — On Tuesday the 8th of November, Foodstuffs North Island Ltd welcomes 20 innovative Dutch companies from horticultural and agricultural sectors, on a Trade Mission from the Netherlands to New Zealand.
The trade delegation is headed by Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Minister Kamp. The trip is taking place parallel to the state visit by Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. New Zealand and the Netherlands are like minded international partners and business cooperation is very successful. We share a number of similar values including freedom, democracy and human rights. We also face similar challenges such as urbanisation and sustainability.
The strong ties between the countries are greatly attributed to the fact that today there is a large community of around 150,000 Kiwis with Dutch roots living in New Zealand.This mission provides great opportunities for the businesses involved as they engage in exploring New Zealand innovation while sharing ideas and building relationships. The companies can gain international knowledge and explore finding solutions for New Zealand’s and the Netherlands’ economic, social and environmental challenges.
Vaughan Grant, General Manager Supply Chain, Foodstuffs North Island says the Netherlands has an excellent relationship with New Zealand and Foodstuffs is pleased to host the delegation and strengthen the partnership.
“As New Zealand’s largest grocery distributer, by serving over 1.30 million New Zealanders every week we are an integral part of many communities. We are pleased to have an opportunity to host the Netherlands delegation to share knowledge on how to provide the best service to our customers.”
Arthur Huijser, Economic and Public Diplomacy Officer at the Embassy of the Netherlands, says he is thrilled the delegation will be exposed to New Zealand’s most promising sectors, he sees this is an opportunity to further strengthen relationships and meet future business partners.
“This mission is a collaborative approach to make connections and share expertise. We feel privileged to gain insights into the Foodstuffs Co-operative and gain a better understanding of the New Zealand grocery market” says Huijser.
International trade could be a source of tension with the election of Donald Trump as US President, says BusinessNZ.
BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says New Zealand’s prosperity relies on open and free trading of our export products, and if the US takes a more closed approach to trade in future, New Zealand export returns could be affected.
"The US is New Zealand’s third largest export market. Trade with the US earns New Zealand over $5 billion a year in products including meat, dairy and wine, and over $2 billion a year in services. A reduction in this level of trade would make a difference to New Zealand’s growth prospects.
"International trade generally could become more uncertain, as statements made during the Presidential campaign indicated an intention for the US to impose large tariffs on imports into the US from China and Mexico. This raises the possibility of tariff retaliation and a more general increase in protectionism by other countries. The overall result could be a general decrease in international trade. This would not be in New Zealand’s interests, given that we are a highly trade-reliant economy.
"It is possible that statements made during the campaign may prove to have been merely rhetoric, and the US will maintain its orthodox approach to international trade - that will be the hope of business in New Zealand.
"New Zealand business will continue its course of growing high quality innovative exports of goods and services and seeking trade opportunities in all parts of the world."
ExportNZ says Trump winning the US Presidential election signals a bumpy ride for currency markets and a lost opportunity to reduce trade barriers for New Zealand products if the TPPA gets knocked back.
Executive Director Catherine Beard says, "Trump's anti-trade position and general protectionist stance is concerning. If his intentions to stop US companies from outsourcing overseas and tariff walls eventuate then New Zealand will lose from this.
"The US is an important market for New Zealand. We exported $8.4 billion of goods and services there in 2015. If Trump's economic policies result in slowing the growth of the US economy, we can expect the demand for New Zealand's exports to drop too.
"Even though Trump has labelled free trade agreements and the TPPA as "horrible" and "disastrous", it's unclear as to exactly what his objections are. Also, it remains to be seen how much these statements were merely political rhetoric.
"We hope that in reality, common sense prevails and there will be a return to a more orthodox position on international affairs. This would include the US taking a leadership role on trade in the TPPA region."
In his speech and in questions and answers to the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce last week New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters explained why he thought Donald Trump would win the US presidential election.
“His victory results from the establishment treating ordinary Americans with contempt, and they are fighting back with their vote. Leading up to the election 72 per cent had no trust in Washington politicians. “This is yet again a dramatic lesson for the commentariat, pollsters and the political establishment. “The greatest message for the elite is that the ordinary people in the Western world are not going to go on being ignored. “The pollsters and media got it wrong because they refused to see what is happening in America and this is not a Republican victory over the Democrats, this is a rejection of neo- liberalism or, in plain words, the elite enriching themselves at the expense of the hard working, law abiding middle-class and workers.”
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