Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
Nov 21 2017 - New Zealand hopes to be exporting fresh avocados to China soon after talks to meet regulatory requirements. A protocol has been signed between the Ministry for Primary Industries and China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
AQSIQ will audit New Zealand's system for exporting avocados in mid-December.
New Zealand already exports fresh apples, kiwifruit, cherries, plums, citrus and persimmons to China and it's hoped a significant market can be built for avocados.
In the 2016/17 season, New Zealand produced a record 7.9 million trays of avocados worth more than $200 million.
About $155.5m worth of avocados were exported to markets such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, Korea and Thailand.
"China is very aware of the significant global increase in avocado consumption, the associated health benefits and the strong growth and huge potential in the avocado category," says New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular.
| FreshPlaza || November 20, 2017 |||
13 Nov 2017 - The 2017 ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer released today shows Kiwi exporters are feeling confident and expecting orders to increase over the next 12 months, Business New Zealand says.
Optimism is very positive with 71% of New Zealand exporters expecting international orders to increase - this is a jump from 63% in 2016.
The research shows that overall 2017 has been a good year, with just over half (55%) of exporters achieving an increase in international orders.
While the survey was carried out prior to the election, ongoing political support for the export environment will be crucial to ensure Kiwi businesses achieve the perceived upcoming boost to orders.
Exporters responding to the survey cited several key ways in which assistance from the New Zealand Government could help their business. Research and development assistance came out top at 26%, closely followed by help attending trade shows with other NZ companies, and more free trade agreements (both 25%).
ExportNZ executive director Catherine Beard said: "The results show that trading with the USA has increased significantly over the past year, with more than half of Kiwi exporters sending orders to the USA and over half (55%) seeing the Trump administration as having a neutral impact on exports, while 41% thought it had a negative impact on exports,” Beard added.
"The fact that R&D has been flagged up as a key area for assistance is significant as more than half (52%) of exporters developed new products and services in a bid to boost export orders. Innovation can be a powerful tool for overcoming the ‘strength of competition in overseas markets’, which is the number one concern among exporters (42%).
Online commerce holds steady The 2017 ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer shows that while some exporters have embraced online commerce, not much has changed in the last two years.
One-fifth of exporters generate more than half of their international orders online, including 6% who generate all export orders this way. There is still plenty of room for growth as 26% said that none of their export orders are generated online.
DHL Express NZ country manager Mark Foy said: "Online commerce is a massive growth area for Kiwi exporters with huge potential to reach international audiences. Currently most businesses, 80%, are only spending one-fifth of their marketing budget online.
"Social media holds much untapped potential to reach overseas consumers looking for innovative and unique goods. However, 68% of companies say they do not use social media to generate orders or enquiries."
While Australia remains by far our number one trading partner (72%), we are shifting towards the ever-growing China (30%) and away from our traditional chief trading partner, the UK (26%), post-Brexit.
A joint initiative between ExportNZ and DHL, a total of 379 New Zealand exporters were surveyed for the ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer 2017.
12 Nov 2017 - Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker has welcomed the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which incorporates the TPP. A Ministerial Statement has been issued today by all eleven Ministers in Da Nang, Viet Nam, which confirms the core elements of the deal are now agreed, with just four issues requiring further technical work and discussion.
"My Ministerial counterparts and I also agreed this week to suspend a number of the most controversial parts of the of the original TPP in the new Agreement,” says Minister Parker.
“At the same time, there will be no change to the goods market access outcomes contained in the original TPP.
“This is a now an improved deal for New Zealand.
“The overall outcome satisfies the five conditions that the Labour-led Government laid out for a revised TPP:
• It achieves meaningful gains in market access for farmers and supports the more than 620,000 New Zealanders whose jobs depend on exports. The CPTPP will also provide New Zealand for the first time with preferential market access into Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, as well as Canada, Mexico and Peru;
• It upholds the unique status of the Treaty of Waitangi;
• It preserves New Zealand’s right to regulate in the public interest. We have also retained the reciprocal agreement with Australia, which is the source of 80 per cent of our overseas investment from this new grouping, that ISDS clauses will not apply between our countries. We continue to seek similar agreements with the other countries in this new Agreement. In addition, the scope to make ISDS claims has also been narrowed;
• The Pharmac model continues to be protected. Further improvements now achieved include suspension of patent extensions which could have increased the cost of medicine to the government; and
• The ability to control the sale of New Zealand homes is being preserved by separate legislation in New Zealand.
“New Zealand will now be focused on working together with our partner countries toward signature, including on the four specific items to be finalised by the date of signature of the new Agreement.
“I expect negotiators will need to meet again in the next few months to take this forward.
“In the meantime, I want New Zealanders to have the opportunity to understand what has been agreed and what it means for them, their families and their country, before anything is signed or ratified.
“Like all free trade agreements, the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee will scrutinise the CPTPP and Parliament will consider the necessary legislative changes needed to give effect to the agreement.”
Notes:
The CPTPP was negotiated between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Viet Nam, and New Zealand.
The four remaining specific items to be finalised by the date of signature are included at the end of the list of suspended provisions.Beehive.govt.nz
| A beehive release || November 11, 2017 |||
9 Nov 2017 - Air New Zealand is rolling out new tracking technology which will allow the airline to more easily track and analyse the movements of cargo shipments and its cargo equipment worldwide. The airline is currently installing more than 5,500 Bluetooth® tags on its cargo containers, pallets and unit load devices as well as more than 100 readers at 29 airports it provides cargo services to around the world. When a tagged item passes the reader it automatically updates an online application providing real time information to the team. Air New Zealand General Manager of Cargo Rick Nelson says the technology is expected to drive enormous efficiencies for the airline. “This technology has been introduced as a result of direct feedback from our cargo and airport staff who saw an opportunity to enhance our handling processes. These Bluetooth® tags and readers will not only allow us to speed up cargo handling but also improve our accuracy and inventory management and help to locate any missing items,” says Mr Nelson. The airline has been working with Core Transport Technologies Inc on the technology which has been designed and manufactured in New Zealand. “We believe this to be the first time this type of technology has been deployed at this large scale anywhere in the world. It’s great to see our technology benefitting Air New Zealand and its many cargo customers and we look forward to continuing to work with the airline to further drive efficiencies,” says Core Transport Technologies Inc Managing Director Ian Craig. While the technology is only being used internally at this stage, the airline hopes to make it customer-facing in the future. “We see significant potential for this technology – it could be rolled out at airports to monitor ground service equipment, or used to manage mail shipments and eventually we would like to see it become customer facing so our cargo customers can more easily track their shipments,” says Mr Nelson. Air New Zealand Cargo plays an important role in growing New Zealand’s high value exports, processing the majority of the country’s air freighted imports. The airline operates an average of 3,566 cargo flights per week and exports a total of 42,000 tonnes of goods from New Zealand annually. Click here to download broadcast quality footage on Air New Zealand’s new cargo tracking solution.
| An AirNZ release || November 8, 2017 |||
8 Nov - Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker says the Government will not shrink away from New Zealand’s leadership role on free trade - but it must be on our terms. Before heading to Apec, Parker spoke to Sam Sachdeva, Newsroom's Foreign Affairs and Trade EditorNewsroom's Foreign Affairs and Trade Editor about taking on “the excesses of globalised capital” and avoiding a public backlash. Befitting his status as one of Labour’s policy wonks, David Parker has been handed an array of challenging roles.
The economic development and environment portfolios, both areas where the Government has some ambitious plans, would be challenging enough, with the Attorney-General position adding more work again.
Yet Parker’s toughest role may be as Trade and Export Growth Minister, where he will be tasked with satisfying the scepticism of supporters regarding free trade deals while placating exporters and the business community.
Early signs have been positive, with a ban on foreign buyers fulfilling Labour’s pre-election pledge without jeopardising TPP talks and existing trade deals (with the exception of Singapore). Yet tougher obstacles may lie ahead.
FTAs 'sexy' but not enough
Under the previous National government, trade ministers Tim Groser and Todd McClay made a virtue of signing New Zealand up to as many free trade agreements as possible.
The Trade Agenda 2030 strategy, unveiled by McClay earlier this year, set a target of having 90 per cent of New Zealand’s exports covered by FTAs.
Parker is less convinced, saying of FTAs: “They’re sexy but they’re not the be-all and end-all.”
“Exports could go down and you could still meet that [90 per cent] target - FTAs are not the driver of investment in the new products and services that we need to sell to the world.”
Continue here to read the full article on Newsroom || November 8, 2017 |||
A free trade agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand has stalled, with one official describing the deal as surviving on “life support” write Shane Cowlishaw and Sam Sachdeva for Newsroom
While the focus is currently on the looming TPP deal and how that will be affected by New Zealand’s decision to ban foreign property buyers, it had been hoped some progress could have been made towards a deal with India, the world’s second most populous country.
Last year, then-Prime Minister John Key visited India and after meeting his counterpart Narendra Modi said great progress had been made.
"They were the most forward-leaning statements around a free trade agreement we've heard from the Indian government. (Modi) wants to make progress relatively rapidly and he wants it to be comprehensive," Key said at the time.
"Prior to coming here we weren't really going anywhere on the FTA - now you've got some very clear direction."
Despite that direction, no progress appears to have been made in the year since.
Several diplomatic and trade officials spoken to by Newsroom in India said there had been no movement and work was barely sputtering along on “life support”.
Dairy was the issue, with Indian businesses wary of letting New Zealand into the market and little chance of a change in stance.
A more plausible scenario was working towards a bilateral or multi-country deal involving Sri Lanka, and sending New Zealand goods to India through the close neighbour which had its own FTA with India.
Speaking to Newsroom in New Delhi, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India, Joanna Kempkers, said there had been 10 rounds of negotiations between the two countries but admitted the deal was on a “slow boil”.
“It would be fantastic for New Zealand and it’s one of our key objectives but we’re realistic to the difficulties of that because, while New Zealand ourselves might not be a problem, we do have some sensitive sectors, dairy being one of them.”
While there were some “commonalities” between the New Zealand and Indian industries, there were areas where New Zealand could be of particular value, she said.
CONTINUE HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON NEWSROOM || NOVEMBER 3, 2017 |||
26 Oct: South Port New Zealand Ltd, operator of the Port of Buff, has benefited from a long running positive economic cycle in the New Zealand economy which has supported growth in cargo volume and profitability, the Company’s shareholders were told at today’s Annual Meeting held at Bluff. The Company’s Chairman, Mr Rex Chapman, indicated that the economic momentum has continued into the current 2017-18 year. This 2017 result again emphasised the importance of bulk cargos to South Port’s business.
"South Port is primarily a bulk port with a container operation. Bulk or break bulk cargos comprised over 2.6 million tonnes with containers representing just over 400,000 tonnes. This equates to a volume split of 86% bulk vs. 14% for containers."
"Within the main bulk cargoes of forestry, NZAS cargo, fertiliser, petroleum and stock food, the log category continued to show strong growth. Log exports reached a new record of 560,000 tonnes while forestry in total now represents almost 30% of South Port’s overall cargo."
Other bulk cargo volumes were generally steady.
Continued growth in container throughput propelled South Port to a new record of 39,300 TEU, up from 35,100 in the previous year. This increase in container volumes was primarily due to an increase in dairy related exports and inbound cement, fertiliser and farm nutrition products.
FY17 net profit was $8.45 million, a very satisfactory result, although below the FY16 record of $8.71 million. One of the significant differences in financial performance in FY2018 was an 18% increase in the cost of repairs and maintenance which was forecast last year.
Guidance was for FY17 profit to be back by about 15% which would have delivered a profit in the order of $7.4 million and so the Company bettered forecast by over $1 million.
"Another positive was that we were able to once again, for the second year in a row, break 3 million tonnes of cargo and we matched last year’s record volume of 3.05 million tonnes."
This year’s sound financial result has enabled the Board to pay a final dividend of 18.5c which translates to a full year dividend of 26c, the same as last year.
Mr Chapman said, "At this early stage of the financial year, we are expecting South Port’s main cargoes of logs, NZAS, dairy exports, petroleum and fertiliser to show modest growth in the next 12 months.
"The dairy sector appears to be on a more stable platform and this should support both the bulk and containerised cargoes which are associated with it."
"Given reasonably stable volumes for the year, we are predicting that our earnings will be broadly consistent with the past year and on that basis the Board will be aiming to maintain the current level of dividend pay-out."
An update of earnings will be provided when the interim result is released.
Mr Chapman commented on the consolidation amongst the container shipping lines.
Three global alliances have emerged which now control over 77% of global container shipping capacity.
Over recent years, the size of new container vessels being built has grown from 10,000 to 14,000 TEU vessels to 18,000 and now 22,000 TEU size. "However, it has recently been reported in shipping media that there is starting to be a difference in opinion between the biggest two shipping lines, MSC and Maersk as to whether or not this trend will continue. Maersk now believe that the race for bigger and bigger ships is gone for the foreseeable future."
"There are several reasons for this; the range of ports that are capable of handling these larger vessels is limited and larger ships mean less frequency of sailings which does not suit importers and exporters."
"The rationale for using larger vessels was to get economies of scale and reduce costs, but these financial benefits are only obtained if the ships are full. With the present excess capacity in the global market, that is difficult to achieve."
"In New Zealand there continues to be strong competition amongst all ports for containerised cargo within their catchment", he said. In many cases, the natural catchment of the port is being extended by inland ports, "a trend that is likely to continue."
Mr Chapman noted that all ports have a different mix of cargos, revenue streams and in some cases non-port businesses.
He provided a comparison of South Port’s percentage of net profit after tax derived from port revenues with that of four other ports.
The analysis shows that South Port converts 23% of its revenue to net profit after tax which Mr Chapman says compares very favourably with the peer group percentages of between 11.9% and 18.5%. "South Port’s performance demonstrates the importance of our favourable bulk cargo mix."
South Port’s business has a greater weighting towards bulk cargos than containers and also has a diverse range of bulk cargos, both on the import and export side.
Bulk cargos by their nature require less people to handle and operational plant interaction, he noted. These cargoes move in larger volume parcels and thus provide a better gross margin than containerised cargo.
Whist there is better margin at a gross level, the Port must provide extensive infrastructure which, in South Port’s case, is requiring increased spending on maintenance to sustain.
The Company distinguishes between growth-related capital expenditure and ‘stay-in-business’ capex required every year within the existing business. A Board objective is to ensure that annual total "stay in business" capex does not exceed depreciation expense.
During the coming year two significant capital projects will be undertaken:
- Construction of a replacement pipe and access corridor for the Town Wharf fuel import berth at an estimated cost of $5 million; and
- Paving of one hectare of the log storage area, coupled with installation of an improved drainage system for a total of $2.2 million.
These two projects make up $7.2 million of the 2018 capex budget of $9.4 million.
Mr Chapman expressed the Company’s thanks to outgoing Chief Executive, Mark O’Connor.
Mr O’Connor joined South Port nearly 25 years ago in 1993, initially as Finance Manager. In the lead up to the Company’s stock exchange listing in July 1994, he was appointed Company Secretary and was involved in much of the background work prior to that listing. Five years later he was appointed to the CEO role.
During his 25 years, Mr O’Connor has served under three Chairmen, Rex Powley, John Harrington and Rex Chapman.
"He has overseen the early transformation in the Company’s business with a successful refocus on the core port activities and achieving solid growth in the operation," said Mr Chapman.
He established the MSC International Container Service at Bluff and has grown container and other cargo handling capabilities together with warehousing facilities both on-port and now in Invercargill.
Since 2000, South Port’s revenue has increased by approximately 300%, tax paid profit has increased by over 400% and cargo volumes have increased by 60%.
"This is impressive growth for a small regional port. He has, in my view, set the standard for the others that will follow him and he has left a lasting legacy in his record of achievement at South Port."
The share price when Mr O’Connor was appointed was $0.86; the current share price is $6.20, a 720% increase. The total return to shareholders since listing has been $222 million.
There were over 40 applicants for the South Port CEO’s position from both New Zealand and offshore. From a shortlist of very strong candidates, Mr Gear was successful and took over as from 1 October. Mr Gear has been with South Port for 23 years in a variety of roles.
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| A Southport release || October 26, 2017 |||
DUBAI, 24th October, 2017 (WAM) -- Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of Dubai Economy, in partnership with the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, DIEDC, conducted the first-ever Islamic Economy trade mission to New Zealand, comprising business leaders and government officials, who sought to strengthen the emirate’s position in the global trade for Sharia compliant products and services.
With a low population and a food-export-driven economy, New Zealand is viewed as a major market and potential partner in channeling trade through Dubai. The red meat industry is one of New Zealand’s major export earners bringing in more than AED15 billion annually. This accounts for 15 percent of New Zealand’s total export revenue, and 27 percent of New Zealand’s primary sector export revenue. In addition, New Zealand exports over AED3 billion worth of skins and hides from sheep and cattle, mainly to be used in the fashion industry.
New Zealand is also a major dairy exporter with the sector contributing more than AED20 billion, or 3.5 percent to the country’s total gross domestic product. As an island nation, the aquaculture industry plays an important role, and seafood trade contributes nearly AED4 billion to the economy.
The trade mission focused on broader areas of the Islamic Economy in New Zealand and the UAE Embassy hosted an exhibition of Emirati art works, the first of its kind in New Zealand.
Saleh Al Suwaidi , the UAE Ambassador in Wellington, said, "The UAE has a natural fit with New Zealand in terms of trade, particularly since the UAE has only one percent arable land and imports a large quantity of red meat and dairy from New Zealand. Connecting with New Zealand allows the UAE to strengthen its hub-to-hub strategy of linking producer and consumer countries via the emirates."
The mission hosted an important forum in association with the New Zealand Middle East Business Council. Todd McClay, the New Zealand Minister of Trade, addressed the forum and referred to the long and friendly relations between the states, as well as the growing Islamic consumer market. He emphasised the Halal sector as a potential area to enhance bilateral trade.
Abdulla Al Awar, CEO of DIEDC, said, "Today, food and beverage accounts for a little over a third of the Halal market and the real growth areas are in lifestyles and technology. New Zealand is ideally placed to allow for synergy in these growing areas."
Mohammed Ali Al Kamali, Deputy CEO of Dubai Exports, said that the Halal trade is set to grow further and mark a significant shift in the immediate future away from being a niche market segment to become mainstream. "We are already seeing signs of this as non-Muslim consumers are purchasing Halal products and services due to its natural and wholesome nature. In the financial services sector we have seen that a large proportion of the customers of Islamic banks are actually non-Muslim and this trend will continue into other business areas."
| A Emirates News Agency release || October 25, 2017 2017 |||
World Top Exports founder Daniel Workman takes a look at the Global sales from kiwifruit exports by country which sees New Zealand rated No 1.
Global sales from kiwifruit exports by country amounted to US$2.5 billion in 2016. Overall, the value of kiwifruit exports were up by an average 20.1% for all exporting countries since 2012 when kiwifruit shipments were valued at $2.1 billion. Year over year, the value of global kiwifruit exports appreciated by 8.7% from 2015 to 2016.
Among continents, Oceanian countries (mainly New Zealand) accounted for the highest dollar worth of exported kiwifruit during 2016 with shipments valued at $1.2 billion or 47.4% of global kiwifruit exports. In second place were European exporters at 40% while 7.1% of worldwide kiwifruit shipments originated from Latin America (excluding Mexico) and the Caribbean. Smaller percentages were sent from kiwifruit exporters in Asia (4.2%), North America (0.9%) and Africa (0.3%).
Kiwifruit Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of kiwifruit during 2016:
The listed 15 countries shipped 98.4% of global kiwifruit exports in 2016 by value.
The listed 15 countries shipped 98.4% of global kiwifruit exports in 2016 by value.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing kiwifruit exporters since 2012 were: China (up 712.3%), Hong Kong (up 123.2%), Iran (up 99.2%) and New Zealand (up 41%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported kiwifruit sales were led by: Lithuania (down -62.7%), France (down -25.8%), Netherlands (down -20.9%), United States (down -14.4%) and Chile (down -13.2%).
| A Wtex release || October 23, 2017 |||
As Donald Trump whips the world into a frenzy with his tweets, China is plotting a trillion-dollar global trade revamp which could change everything reads an article in The NZHerald.
It's being dubbed the "New Silk Road" which could redefine global trade and mark a tipping point for a new Asian century.
So far, 68 countries including New Zealand have signed up to the President Xi Jinping's "One Belt, One Road" (BRI) project, but it's left Aussie politicians divided and scratching their heads, according to an international relations expert.
"I don't think the government has done a great deal of thinking about this," Australian National University's Dr Michael Clarke said.
"But, I've heard from my contacts in government that there is a very definite divide between the security agencies who have strategic concerns and the departments of trade and agriculture, which are looking at BRI as a big economic opportunity for Australia."
This was backed up today, with the ABC reporting that the Australian heads of the immigration and defence departments told the Turnbull Government earlier this year not to join BRI.
However, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were reportedly broadly in favour of joining.
Beijing's massive plans, which were first unveiled in 2013, involve the reviving of an ancient land and ocean silk trade routes.
It has already spent billions of dollars on new infrastructure projects for roads, railways, ports and maritime corridors.
Continue to read the full article on the NZHerald || October 24, 2017 |||
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
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