Wow what a great range of trade missions coming up this year! Time to start planning ahead, targeting your markets and getting these booked into your 2017 calendar. Choose from Hawaii, Argentina and Chile, Thailand and Vietnam. And if Mexico is on your radar, check out the upcoming roadshow on Doing Buiness in Mexico.

We've also received some great news of a new collaboration that has resulted from bringing people together at an ExportNZ networking function. The new Victoria University of Wellington – Miramar Creative Centre will bring hi-tech equipment and software that's being used by film production companies around the world. Fantastic.

Catherine Beard

027 463 3212 or cbeard@exportnz.org.nz

In this month's Trade Update, I give an update on TPP as the Government remains keen to keep it alive, plus a quick overview of the UK, EU, Sri Lanka, RCEPand the GCC.

TPP members minus the US are gathering in Santiago, Chile in mid-March to discuss next steps for the agreement now that the US has withdrawn. Korea and China are joining this meeting.

Mexico is seeking to negotiate FTAs with a range of countries to send a signal to the US that it has options other than NAFTA (which President Trump is seeking to renegotiate).  New Zealand is one of these countries.  Trade Minister Todd McClay has visited Mexico to explore possibilities. More...

The Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand and the Mexican Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ProMexico) are running a series of breakfast seminars on Doing Business in Mexico.

Featuring presentations by the Trade Commissioner of Mexico for Australia and New Zealand, and representatives from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, these events are essential for anyone looking to enter into or expand their business in Mexico as our two countries enter the Trump era and seek ways to collaborate more closely.

Click here for programme details for each of the seminars. All events are free to attend but registration is essential. To register, please email eventosnze@sre.gob.mx by 17 March 2017.

Grab the opportunity to consolidate, connect and collaborate with the New Zealand Manufacturing and Design (MaD) network at their inaugural manufacturing and design conference in May. You can become a member of this cross-disciplinary researcher network, focussed on New Zealand’s manufacturing economy of the future.

Conference dates: Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 May, 2017

Venue: ANZ Viaduct Event Centre, 161 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland

Scope of Conference: Consolidation, Connection, Collaboration... Click here for more.

Early-Bird Registration closes 1 April. 

A new state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Miramar's film sector will be established through a collaboration between Victoria University of Wellington and Miramar Creative Ltd, that came about when people from both organisations met at an ExportNZ networking event.

Victoria staff and students will craft their own film, sound design/music, visual effects and multimedia projects at the Victoria University of Wellington – Miramar Creative Centre, to be located in Miramar, Wellington.

The new centre will be hi-tech, with green screens, motion capture and new computer labs equipped with the same software that is being used by film production companies around the world. More...

ExportNZ, in partnership with the Latin America NZ Business Council, is planning a business mission to Argentina and Chile (provisional dates: end-September/early-October 2017).

This is an opportunity to participate in a co-ordinated visit with a structured programme of business briefings, plant visits, networking events and one-on-one meetings.

Benefits of participating:

• Dedicated business-to-business matching arranged through NZTE in advance of departure.
• Valuable insights into the opportunities of an export market. Being in the market and experiencing it first hand is essential and cannot be substituted with desk-based research or third hand reports.
• Utilising the support of NZTE, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,  ExportNZ and the Latin America NZ Business Council, gives you a credible presence within the market. 
• Opportunities to meet a significant number of decision-makers and key influencers from Government and senior business leadership.   Connect with customers who you would not be able to reach in a private capacity. 
• Being part of a team. Delegates from previous business missions have commented on the collective power, energy and strength of the group.   Other members of the team bring you opportunities that may otherwise be missed.
   

ExportNZ and ASEAN NZ Business Council have established a track record for delivering successful outcomes for New Zealand businesses. Hear directly from the delegates who joined the 2014 trade mission to Indonesia.

To register your expression of interest contact catherine@exportnz.org.nz.

ExportNZ, in partnership with the ASEAN NZ Business Council, is planning a business mission to Thailand and Vietnam (provisional dates: 5 - 14 August, 2017).

The benefits of participating are many. But don't just take our word for it - hear directly from the delegates who joined the 2014 trade mission to Indonesia.

Register your expression of interest now. Contact catherine@exportnz.org.nz

Our annual Trade Mission to Honolulu is confirmed for Monday 10th July – Friday 14th July. 

Details of the week are:

• Monday – Breakfast meeting with Joe Lopez, leader for the week’s activities.  During this first day, you will be driven around Honolulu – including stopping to visit marketing opportunities; ie hotels, resorts, restaurants, Foreign Trade Zone, Custom Brokers, etc
• Tuesday morning as above and getting ready to set up your booth at the Expo in the afternoon.
• Wednesday & Thursday – at the Hospitality & Food Service Expo – Blaisdell Centre 
• Friday, time to follow through with your interested companies.  A late lunch is planned to talk through with Joe and report.

Your costs are: International travel, accommodation and transporting your samples to the Expo.

For further information contact Robyn Bartram at robyn@nzhawaii.com.

In Singapore this May, CommunicAsia2017 will bring together cutting-edge ICT technologies for business from around the world. 

Exhibitors will feature a range of key and emerging technologies from FTTx, LTE, mobile broadband, mobile commerce and innovations, next generation services, satellite communications, smartphones & devices and many others.

A block of space has been reserved for New Zealand companies on a major walk aisle. If you're intersted in exhibiting you can find out more here.

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.

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