WIth TPP in the news, it's disappointing to see the naysayers are still opposed to free trade and making negative assumptions about a deal that has not even been agreed yet.

You only have to look at the outstanding success we've gleaned from our existing Free Trade Agreements for evidence that they can be well managed and therefore reap great rewards for our economy.

Let's give our negotiators some credit. TPP is still being negotaiated and let's not forget that the TPP is based on a pre-existing FTA that is high quality and has only been positive for New Zealand.

New Zealand cannot afford to be left on the sidelines while other countries lower their trade barriers to each other. We need to walk in step with our trade partners. More in my trade update below.

Catherine Beard
027 463 3212 or cbeard@exportnz.org.nz

In this first Trade Update of 2014, I look at the real outcomes of Free Trade Agreements and check on the progress of new ones with Russia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and what the new Australia - Korea agreement means for NZ. There's also an update on TPP.  More...

C Beard

A reminder of the fantastic resources available to Kiwi Companies in Shanghai. If you are traveling to China for business – you can literally step off the plane and taxi to NZ Central (even taking a shower when you arrive). More...

ExportNZ Auckland will be maintaining the momentum gained from the 2013 trade mission to Indonesia with a return visit proposed for August 2014, and a proposal to visit Hong Kong, Taipei and Macao in a separate mission. More...

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) would like to know businesses’ views on government procurement to help improve the way they work with businesses.

It's seeking your feedback on how procurement is undertaken across government, not just MBIE itself. The survey should take no more than 5 - 10 minutes to complete. More...

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has released the 2013 Food and Beverage Industry reviews, which shows that New Zealand’s food and beverage sector continues to set the pace in export performance. More...

This year's Multicore World conference is hosting a Computing for Square Kilometre Array (SKA) workshop. Otago software company, Open Parallel, is helping build the brain of the SKA telescope, and the global project will ultimately reveal new information about the origins and history of the universe.

Open Parallel's Nicolas Erdody's says New Zealand's role in building the world's largest radio telescope could lead to the country becoming a global hub for big data.

The conference in Auckland will host some of the world's leading technologists, including the project's computing head, British scientist Dr Tim Cornwell; plus Shaun Hendy, John Bancroft and John Humphreys. More...

With a particular focus on Asia, this seminar is a must for all those currently operating in or engaging with these markets or with a potential interest in the area. It's in Wellington on 13 Feb, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. More... 

The Sectors Series are easy to read and business friendly reports on every sector in the New Zealand economy. They explain how technology is changing industry, the future of New Zealand tourism, our expanding IT exports and much more...

Congratulations to the winner of the Samsung Galaxy Tablet for participating in our Exporter Survey. Designer Kids Ltd from Pukekohe exports NZ Merino baby sleeping bags worldwide and has just been listed on Amazon in the UK.

There are some great opportunities for improving your business through learnings at seminars, workshops and events.

To see what's coming up, go to the ExportNZ home page and scroll down to see what's happening around the country – from "All about India" to training about documents used in export.

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