Having trouble reading this? View it in your browser. Not interested? Unsubscribe instantly.

Message from the executive director

As the ExportNZ awards season approaches, I'd like to invite you all to consider participating, or to think of a company you know that should enter.

This is about celebrating successes, but it's also about sharing our stories and inspiring other New Zealanders to be brave, to get out there and shine.

Winners in the ExportNZ Awards (Auckland/Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Christchurch) will get automatic entry into NZTE’s International Business Awards.

Entries are now open for the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2018 - Auckland and Waikato, and for the ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards. Find out more below...

Happy exporting!

Catherine Beard

027 463 3212 or cbeard@exportnz.org.nz

Trade Update

In this month's trade update, we give you the latest developments with the CPTPP (due for signature in Santiago, Chile on 8 March), New Trade Strategy (the new Government is working on some new policy settings for future FTAs), the Pacific Alliance, and the EU FTA. More... 

Fine Food show a platform for business growth

Entrepreneurs looking to take new products to market or businesses with an eye on exporting, innovation and commercial production may want to add Fine Food New Zealand to their agendas in 2018.

The foodservice, food retail and hospitality trade show takes place 24-26 June 2018 at the ASB Showgrounds and provides an opportunity for industry players at all levels to strengthen their brands through the show’s various initiatives. More...

New EU data protection rules - check you're compliant!

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new system of personal data protection requirements adopted in the European Union. It becomes effective on 25 May 2018.

New Zealand exporters are subject to the GDPR. Its requirements go beyond those in NZ’s Privacy Act 1993, meaning that compliance with domestic legislation does not equate to compliance with the GDPR.

Are you compliant with these new rules? Read this advice from Chapman Tripp->>

Auckland and Waikato Export Awards

It’s time for exporters to share their inspirational stories.

Entries are now open for the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2018 - Auckland and Waikato.

Export business operations based in Northland, Auckland and/or the Waikato regions are eligible to enter. More...

Second annual Export Awards for Wellington launch

The success of Wellington Region exporters will be celebrated at the region's second annual ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards in May.

Companies can enter any of four categories - Wellington Airport Best Emerging Business Award, CentrePort Best Medium/Large Business Award, Cottrell Law Excellence in Innovation Award and WREDA Services to Export Award. 

Entries close on 6 April. Judges will visit the shortlisted companies to discuss their submissions on 16-17 April and 26-27 April before announcing the finalists on 1 May.

The winners of each category will contest the supreme award, the ASB Exporter of the Year, which will be announced at a gala dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel on 24 May. More...

New Zealand exporters set to cash in on butter boon

Consumers aren't just eating more butter, they are willing to pay more for it, a boon that's giving outsize gains to makers of premium brands. And this is good news for New Zealand, the largest butter exporter in the world.

Global retail butter sales will expand 2.9 percent to US$19.4 billion (NZ$27 billion) in 2018, outpacing the 1.9 percent growth in sales volumes, according to Euromonitor International. The trend is fanning the expansion of international brands benefiting from a consumer shift to more natural fats, according to Raphael Moreau, a senior research analyst with the research firm in London. More...

If you plant it, they will come: Sunfed's Shama Lee on tackling the meat industry in New Zealand

This is an interesting interview with Sunfed founder Shama Lee about creating a plant-based ‘meat-free meat’ that looks and tastes like the real deal, and the implications for New Zealand's food exports.

“As the first plant-based meat start-up in New Zealand, we have kickstarted and generated momentum towards our vision of creating a brand-new Kiwi industry that will not only diversify our exports, but put us at the forefront of leading the way in producing good clean sustainable food that can feed the growing world population.”

And not only is Sunfed talking the talk on making a difference – it’s walking the walk.

Lee says the company is currently building large-scale plant protein infrastructure in New Zealand. More...

Better by Design CEO Summit 20-21 March

Tickets are selling fast! NZTE's Better by Design CEO Summit is back for 2018 at Auckland's Villa Maria Estate.

Even more world-class speakers have now been added - Airbnb User Experience Design Manager Jenny Arden, former Uber Product and Engineering Manager Frederique Dame, and Stance Founder and CEO Jeff Kearl have joined an already stellar line-up, including Facebook's Eric Tseng and Allbirds Co-founder Tim Brown. 

Tickets will sell out, so book now to secure your spot at this exclusive event.

Learn more and book now->>

Complex in Comparison – doing business in the USA

Zachary Norris of Norris Echetebu Law, which has offices in Auckland and Houston Texas, gives his expert insights into the issues Kiwi companies face when attempting to do business in the United States...

When I first came to New Zealand, I was surprised to learn about the difficulty New Zealand companies face when trying to do business in the United States.  

I quickly realized that to the foreign eye, the US was a byzantine maze of complex regulations, multiple jurisdictions, and rules that did not make much sense. More...

What's happening around the country

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.

ExportNZ
Newsletter Archive
Missed an issue of The Exporter? Click here to access all previous issues in our Newsletter Archive.