Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee has welcomed further engagement between New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“The establishment of a people-to-people dialogue has been announced during Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s visit to New Zealand,” Mr Brownlee says.

“New Zealand and the United Kingdom enjoy a broad and enduring partnership. At its foundation are the connections between the people of our two countries.

“The Foreign Secretary and I agreed that enhancing those connections will help support a stronger political and economic relationship between New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“The dialogue will provide a forum for discussing a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including how we might improve the opportunities that exist for our citizens to live and work in each other’s countries.

“The relationship New Zealand shares with the United Kingdom is an important one. The UK is our fifth largest trading partner and one of our closest international security partners.

“As the United Kingdom looks to reshape its relationships around the world following its decision to leave the European Union, we see enhanced engagement as an opportunity to further strengthen the friendship the UK and New Zealand have enjoyed for so long,” Mr Brownlee says.

The people-to-people dialogue will be convened at officials’ level at six monthly intervals. It will complement the existing trade policy dialogue, and strategic dialogue on foreign policy.

|  A Beehive release  ||  July 26,  2017   |||

 One of New Zealand’s longest-running pioneering business success stories, Gallagher Power Fence Systems Limited, has announced plans to expand operations in Kenya at Tatu City.

Gallagher will build 24 warehouses on four-acres at Tatu Industrial Park, the leading industrial area with Special Economic Zone status in East Africa. The warehouses will be used for storage of security products and for lease. Construction will commence in September 2017 and create approximately 100 jobs as part of the multimillion dollar investment.

Whilst visiting Tatu City, Sir William Gallagher, Chairperson and CEO of the company, said that the move was a strategic step in Gallagher’s growth and expansion plans in the region.

“Over the last 18 years, we have experienced immense support from various partners and customers in Kenya. We are proud to be playing a role in creating employment opportunities, and we aim to reach a wider clientele through the facilities that we will be setting up here at Tatu City,” he said.

Gallagher is also in the process of building an electric security fence on the boundary of Tatu City. The fence will will be equipped with CCTV cameras, floodlights and access control at entry and exit points, all monitored in a dedicated control room by Tatu City’s security team.

“We are delighted yet again to attract a global investor and service provider with strong local roots to the ever-growing list of Tatu City partners,” said Stephen Jennings, Founder and CEO of Rendeavour, the owner and developer of Tatu City. “Gallagher is a household name in dozens of countries around the world, and the company’s quality and standards are such that they have built a strong business in Kenya.”

About Gallagher Power Fence Systems Ltd (www.gallagher.com)Gallagher are a global leader in the innovation, manufacture and marketing of animal management, security, fuel systems and contract manufacturing solutions.For 75 years Gallagher has designed and delivered innovative solutions to a global customer base. GPF Kenya was established 18 years ago in Nairobi and established itself as a highly reputable supplier and installer of high quality cost effective security systems.

All installations are designed and installed to comply with National and International requirements. Gallagher inspects and certifies all installations as appropriate, ensuring that the systems comply with Gallagher’s stringent code of practice and quality standards.

About Tatu City (www.tatucity.com) Tatu City is a 5,000-acre, mixed-use development with homes, schools, offices, a shopping district, medical clinics, nature areas, a sport & entertainment complex and manufacturing area for more than 150,000 residents and tens of thousands of day visitors. Schools and businesses are already open at Tatu City, and a range of houses are under construction to suit all incomes. A Special Economic Zone, Tatu City is a unique live, work and play environment that is free from traffic congestion and long-distance commuting.

| A Gallagher release Nairobi, July 11, 2017    |||

Trade Minister Todd McClay will make the first official visit to Thailand by a New Zealand Minister since 2013 to engage with key ministers and business leaders on trade.

“Thailand is now our eighth largest trading partner. Since the Thailand New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership came into force, total goods trade has increased almost 150 per cent to more than $3 billion in 2016,” Mr McClay says.

“Many New Zealand companies have benefited from better access, but there is opportunity to further increase goods and services exports.”

During the two day visit, Mr McClay will sign an agreement increasing the volume of New Zealand dairy products that can enter Thailand under a preferential tariff rate.

Mr McClay will also sign the official book of condolence on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand, for the late King, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej.

“New Zealand has a 60 year diplomatic relationship with Thailand, but our economic relationship has been growing rapidly. We look forward to deepening our economic relationship with this important member of the ASEAN region,” Mr McClay says.

| A Beehive release  || July 23, 2017   |||

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell has held talks today with Japanese State Minister of Defence Kenji Wakamiya, who is conducting an official visit to New Zealand.

“Japan is an increasingly important defence partner for New Zealand,” Mr Mitchell says. “We have a defence relationship underpinned by our common democratic values, and the fact we are both maritime nations vulnerable to natural disasters.

“The New Zealand Government was immensely grateful for the support the Japan Self-Defense Forces provided us after the Kaikoura earthquake last year,” Mr Mitchell says.

New Zealand and Japan are also strongly committed to maintaining regional peace and security.

“In addition to exploring new ways for our defence forces to work together, Minister Wakamiya and I exchanged views on security issues facing the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Mitchell says.

Minister Wakamiya’s visit to New Zealand follows Mr Mitchell’s meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada at the Shangri-La Dialogue in June, and Prime Minister Bill English’s counterpart visit to Japan in May. The frigate HMNZS Te Kaha also recently undertook a port visit to Tokyo.

| A Beehive release  || July 21,  2017   |||

China's trillion-dollar 'Belt and Road Initiative' is still in its early stages, but one expert says New Zealand shouldn't take too long to work out how we can benefit from the project. Sam Sachdeva reports.

Chinese investment is always a touchy subject in New Zealand politics - and that goes double in an election year.

It's no surprise then that ears were pricked during Premier Le Keqiang's visit earlier this year by the signing of a memorandum of agreement between New Zealand and China which could lead to millions more dollars flowing in through a Chinese strategy to lead on the world stage.

Yet while the Belt and Road Initiative has been around for several years, it is in many ways still a mystery.

Stephen Jacobi, executive director of the NZ China Council, has just returned from a trip to China to get a better appreciation of what the Belt and Road Initiative may mean for New Zealand.

The initiative was first pitched by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a 2013 visit to Kazakhstan as a way of improving transport links, trade ties and personal connections through a number of projects along ancient trade routes.

Since then, a number of infrastructure projects have been developed across Asia and elsewhere, with overall spending for the initiative possibly running into the trillions.

Paul Clark, a professor of Chinese at Auckland University and associate director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, says Belt and Road is “very much part of the Chinese government’s rhetoric” as it looks to grow its economy.

“It has great promise I think in providing an outlet for Chinese industry and construction in particular to engage with Central Asian and other countries to use up surplus supply of construction people, workers and equipment and so forth.”

Widening belt

While the possibility of Chinese-funded road and rail has dominated much of the discussion in New Zealand, Jacobi says “the real play” in our corner of the world is less about infrastructure and more about connecting up with China through including the flow of goods, services and people.

Continue here to read full article on NewsRoom

Port Denarau Marina general manager Cynthia Rasch said: “It is a great opportunity for industry partners, marine businesses, yachts and agents to network and discuss one on one the latest marine products and services with leading marine operators under one roof.”

This year marks the second year running for this event featuring New Zealand based companies.

“We are expecting over 100 transient vessels to be present to take advantage of this information sharing event to assist them with their on-ward travel to New Zealand.”

Furthermore Peter Busfield, executive director of NZ Marine said the recent win of the America’s Cup promises significant gains for the wider South Pacific “and we expect it to be a topic of discussion whilst we are in Fiji.

“The New Zealand victory in the America’s Cup is a catalyst for South Pacific Superyachting including Fiji,” he said.

“The America’s Cup win will be a big benefit to New Zealand boating industry and the wider South Pacific region.

“During the 2000 defence Auckland hosted 95 superyachts and we would expect this number to exceed 120 for the next event. As many of these vessels will arrive via Fiji or Tahiti, there will be economic gain for each country.

“During the lead up we also expect to see more superyachts and charter companies focusing on the South Pacific as a cruising destination,” he said.

Emirates Team NZ dominated the final stage of the 35th America’s Cup, winning easily against Oracle Team USA.

The NZ marine industry built both finalists’ vessels – Oracle Team USA by Core Builders and ETNZ by Southern Spars.

Key suppliers to both teams have shown once again the capability of the New Zealand marine industry which is the country’s largest manufacturing sector outside of the primary producers.

Feedback: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. SonOnline release  ||  July 17,  2017   |||

The Minister of Trade will launch the first academic survey of New Zealand's trade negotiations from the 1970s to the present in Wellington on Thursday, 20 July.

Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Stephen Hoadley, from the Faculty of Arts, has reviewed trade diplomacy from early attempts to sell beef to Japan to current efforts to secure free trade agreements with Europe, Britain, and the United States.

His subsequent book New Zealand Trade Negotiations details the setting of precedent in Closer Economic Relations with Australia in 1983 and then how a dozen more free trade agreements were negotiated successfully, all of which boosted New Zealand producers’ access to overseas markets.

“New Zealand has been a leader in trade liberalisation since we negotiated privileged entry to the European Economic Community in 1971,” says Dr Hoadley.

His book traces New Zealand’s successful FTA initiatives with Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, ASEAN, South Korea and Chile and its achievement of trade ‘firsts’ with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

After reviewing New Zealand’s participation in the World Trade Organisation, Dr Hoadley offers speculation regarding seven pending FTAs, the suspended Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the prospective Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Both the Hon Todd McClay, Minister of Trade, and Stephen Jacobi, Executive Director of the New Zealand International Business Forum, will help launch New Zealand Trade Negotiations at the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Wellington.

Date: 20 July 2017, 5:30 – 7.30 pm

Venue: RHLT2, Rutherford House Victoria University of Wellington –

Pipitea Campus, 23 Lambton Quay, Wellington

Please register here

| A UOA release  ||  July 18, 2017   |||

The latest New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) Survey of Business Conditions, completed during June 2017, shows total sales in May 2017 decreased 2.34% (year on year export sales decreased by 5.68% with domestic sales increasing by 10.99%) on May 2016.

In the 3 months to May, export sales decreased an average of 14.4%, and domestic sales increased 7.1% on average.

The NZMEA survey sample this month covered NZ$251m in annualised sales, with an export content of 77%.

Net confidence fell to 25, down from 40 in April.

The current performance index (a combination of profitability and cash flow) is at 98.7, up from 97.7 last month, the change index (capacity utilisation, staff levels, orders and inventories) was at 100, up from 98 in the last survey, and the forecast index (investment, sales, profitability and staff) is at 104.2, down on the last result of 105.7. Anything over 100 indicates expansion.

Constraints reported were 60% markets and 40% skilled staff.

A net 10% reported productivity improvements in May.

Staff numbers decreased 2.28% year on year in May.

Supervisors, tradespersons and managers, reported a moderate shortage, while professional/scientists and operators/labourers showed a minor shortage.

“This month’s domestic sales improved on April’s results, showing growth of 10.8% on May 2017. Despite the negative result seen last month, domestic sales have experienced a largely positive growth trend in the last year. In the three months to May, there was an average monthly growth of 7.1% on the same months last year.” Said NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam.

“Export sales, on the other hand, experienced another month of decline, -5.7% on May 2016, reinforcing the general negative trend felt over the last year. In the three months to May, average monthly sales decreased 14.4% on the same months last year.

“Export sales results were also reflected in the recent Overseas Merchandise Trade numbers from stats New Zealand. For example in May, both mechanical machinery and equipment and electrical machinery and equipment experienced decreases in export sales values on May 2016.

“Finding skilled staff has become a larger issue for manufacturers in May, with the skilled staff constraint having the highest value since February 2008, at 44%. It was commented by respondents that tradespeople are of particular need – a sentiment that was shared by a number of companies at a recent NZMEA event with the Prime Minister.

“Industry and Government need to work together to improve our education system and industry training to start to address these skill shortages that hold Kiwi manufacturers back. This can be done – there are a number of examples around the world of such skill shortages being address effectively, such as Germany.” Said Dieter.

For analysis tables and graphs, click here.

| An NZMEA release  ||  July 13,  2017   |||

Customs Minister Tim Macindoe welcomes the signing of a Customs Cooperation Agreement with the European Union in Brussels overnight.

The Agreement will strengthen cooperation with the European Union in such areas as Customs procedures and supply chain security and risk management.

Mr Macindoe says this Agreement signifies our joint ongoing commitment to close cooperation.

For New Zealand, the Agreement will:

allow for closer cooperation on the delivery of technical assistance and capacity building activities we provide to other countries, particularly in the Pacific enable us to learn from each other particularly in terms of research and development in customs technology provide the opportunity to develop agreements with the European Union covering other facets of the customs relationship.

“The Agreement also represents a necessary first step towards agreeing a mutually recognised secure trade scheme, which will ultimately allow accredited companies faster clearance of exports into the European Union and New Zealand,” Mr Macindoe says.

| A Beehive release  ||  July 4,  2017   |||

Foreign Minister Knew that It is the Putting Right That Counts

 New Zealand’s foreign minister Gerry Brownlee’s deft handling of the small country’s Middle East posture was timed and executed to perfection.

The former school wood working instructor demonstrated in his new post the understated flair in this realpolitik that has been a characteristic of his long Parliamentary career.

From the outset he understood that in a favoured New Zealand mercantile jingle that it is the “putting right that counts.”

His backtracking on the New Zealand security council participation in the censoring of Israel demanded that he de-fuse the issue, and do so without appearing to snub the rulers of any real or potential trading markets in the region’s Gulf States.

This was accomplished by delivering an apology that was not an apology.

Mr Brownlee had from the start sensed the danger of the UN resolution being allowed to swing unmodified in the always volatile Middle East diplomatic atmosphere.

He had to tread carefully in order to be seen as treating the issue as a high-minded moral milestone instead of the positioning being seen for what it was---a calculated trade-off to appease what was then an unqualified official belief that the Obama presidency would seamlessly make the transition to a Clinton one.

In order to sustain this robe-touching exercise he also had to skitter carefully around some other matters, notably keeping on side with the Gulf traders who much earlier had been told they could go ahead with receiving live sheep shipments and also with the Green lobby which remains determined to making sure that they do not..

The live sheep trade and its banning is a symbolic touchstone of the Greens

Mr Brownlee’s instrument was the apology that was an apology or not an apology, depending on the angle that you examined it from.

The product of the diplomatic soft shoe shuffle in three dimensional terms was the resumption of diplomatic exchanges with Israel.

Meanwhile Mr Brownlee’s government continues to plug away with the equipping of the Gulf processing depot which is the visible-yet-invisible reparation due to the live sheep importing lobby as compensation for the reneging on the original undertaking to supply them with the live shipments.

Mr Brownlee saw the danger to his government of the whole seraglio left as it was dangling unsecured in the lead up to the general election this year. It had to be dealt with before it intruded on the rather more fevered atmosphere of the campaign.

More importantly, by taking the issue substantially out of play he has smoothed relations with the Trump administration, the one that the professional diplomats failed to see coming.

| From the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ||  Monday 3 July 2017   |||