US tariffs boost NZ wool carpet export opportunity
A 50% tariff slapped by the US on goods from India last month has opened an opportunity for New Zealand wool carpets exports to North America.
Meanwhile, a new Government directive to prefer the use of woollen fibres in its buildings has the potential to transform the rural sector, according to Bremworth.
However, chief executive Greg Smith says the move could also open the door to cheap imports from the United Kingdom.
He says the coalition announcement, where government agencies will be required to select woollen fibres over synthetic alternatives in their buildings, is significant. But Smith warns that it also has the potential to benefit sheep farmers overseas at the expense of their New Zealand counterparts.
He believes greater clarity is needed to understand whether the intent of the decision is to support New Zealand’s rural economy, reduce the use of plastic materials in construction or both.
Smith claims the move has the potential to double the price of wool farmed in New Zealand but a question remains as to where a government-specified product would fit within free trade agreements with other countries.
He says that while New Zealand wool is generally considered to be suitable for carpet production by international manufacturers, the new policy may see volumes of cheaper imported options become available here. Smith adds that if government procurement policies allowed for imported wool fibre building products to access the New Zealand market, there would be few benefits for New Zealand other than a reduction in the use of plastic.
“It would be soul-destroying for farmers in the sector to see one imported product replaced with another in the construction of publicly-owned buildings,” Smith says. “What we need right now is greater clarity around the parameters of this policy and recognition of the inherent tax benefits to the economy when we support local,” he says.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.