Nimble New Zealand exporters finding opportunity amid shifting trade terms
Global trade wars and uncertain tariff regimes could play into the hands of many New Zealand exporters, according to Gareth Coleman ANZ’s Head of Trade & Supply Chain.
The Wood Council of New Zealand says the forest and wood processing industry is happy the TPP.
The deal will remove tariffs on wood products across the 12 TPP countries.
"We have yet to see the detail, but we understand that all tariffs on logs and wood products will be reduced to zero. That represents a $9 million saving," says Wood Council chair Bill McCallum.
"While this is not a huge sum in the context of a trade worth $1.5 billion, we anticipate there will be bigger prizes arising from the TPP Agreement."
McCallum says the TPP has focused on tariff reduction and elimination, however with wood products the Council suspects that non-tariff barriers are a much greater impediment to trade.
"Technical barriers that have no scientific justification can prevent the import or use of imported wood products. Subsidies enjoyed by domestic wood processors can also make it impossible for imports to compete fairly."
The Council says the TPP will help exporters of NZ processed wood products who have struggled in the past to compete in markets where they have been excluded by tariffs that escalate rapidly as value is added to a raw material.
"These lost opportunities are not included in the $9 million saving, because current tariffs make exports unprofitable." says McCallum.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
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