b global News
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(posted 13/12/2005)
New NZTE International branding programme
A new booklet is available to help companies who are interested in building a competitive edge when promoting themselves internationally. The booklet, Building a Competitive Edge is part of the New Zealand New Thinking brand programme.
(posted 14/10/2005)
APEC Business Travel Card update
The APEC Business Travel Card scheme is now available to citizens of 17 countries in the APEC region.
The scheme was developed in direct response to the needs of business people for quick, short-term entry to economies in the region for business purposes. The APEC Business Travel Card provides approved business people from participating member economies with streamlined travel within the Asia-Pacific region.
The credit-card size travel card contains personal identity details and is valid for up to three years for multiple, short-term business visits between participating member economies. A single application lodged in the applicant’s home economy is processed region wide through a simple system of pre-clearances, removing the need to apply for multiple visas.Around 9,200 cards have been issued to business people across the region. Seventeen of APEC’s 21 member economies have now joined the scheme, These are:
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines PNG, Singapore, Thailand, US, Vietnam Singapore, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.
The APEC Business Travel Card is for business people who:
• Hold a passport of a participating economy;
• Travel frequently, and;
• Have not been convicted of a criminal offence or denied entry to a participating economy.
The card provides:
• Multiple entries
• Three years (or lifetime of passport up to this period) validity
• Period of stay of at least two months
• Pre-cleared travel to participating economies
• Access to fast queues at airports
Benefits to business:
A single application gives pre-cleared entry to participating economies
Saves paperwork and time prior to travel
Eliminates separation from passport
Save pages in passport
Streamlined entry/exit at border
Special lanes
How to apply:
If you are an New Zealand passport holder who meets the above criteria, all you need to do is complete an application form and supply a passport photo. There is an application charge of nz$150. Applications are submitted to the department of Immigration.
Detailed information and the application from are available from
New Zealand Immigration Service website
(posted 12/10/2005
New US wood packing import regulations
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commenced enforcement on 16 September of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) import regulation for wood packaging material (WPM).
The rule requires WPM, such as pallets, crates, boxes, and dunnage used to support or brace cargo, to be treated and marked. In cases of no-compliance, the WPM is subject to immediate re-export along with the accompanying cargo.
The approved treatments for wood packaging material are:
1) heat treatment to a minimum wood core temperature of 59°c for minimum of 30 minutes, or;
2) fumigation with methyl bromide.
To certify treatment, the WPM must be marked with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo displayed on their website. Paper certificates of treatment will no longer be required or accepted.
Additional information on the enforcement of the wood packaging material regulations is available from US Customs website.
(posted 28/09/2005)
Consern over incressing export scams from China.
The Chamber Southland office has had 2 requests from members concerned about the honesty of an engineering Company in Yunnan China who has given them attractive draft purchase contracts .
Through the course of our investigation including the local Chamber of Commerce in Yunnan. We found that this company was known to honour the first 3-4 payments on increasing sized orders and then place a large order which they would never honour. They would then move on to another supplier and operate in the same manor. This practice seems to be increasing and exporters should take due care with new companies.
NZTE has also become increasingly concerned about suspected scam activity in parts of China in recent months.
They say that 12 New Zealand and Australian companies have received trade enquiries and draft purchase contracts from companies predominantly in Kunming, in the Yunnan Province, and also from Shenzhen, Haikou and Nanning in China. A number of these enquiries are from Chinese buyers looking to import the New Zealand or Australian company's products and inviting the potential exporter to visit them to sign contracts. Chinese companies have asked for expensive gifts for relationship building purposes, and in two cases have had no further contact with New Zealand and Australian companies once the contract was signed.
New Zealand companies have so far received enquiries for stainless steel parts, boats, paint, tea and lumber.
(posted 23/9/05)
New German food and animal feed law
New German legislation could affect New Zealand food and animal feed sold there. The new law empowers food and feed safety authorities to publish the results of control tests of products, including imports, and name those that do not meet standards.
Previous consumer information policy varied locally, but was on average more restrictive and ad hoc. The new law replaces nearly a dozen federal laws and regulations with just one document and brings German food and feed legislation into line with new European Union requirements.
The new law also applies to cosmetics and other consumer goods that can come into contact with the human body, such as toys, textiles, cleaning products, and jewellery. Medicines and wine are still regulated separately.
The full text of the new law (“Gesetz zur Neuordnung des Lebensmittel - und Futtermittelrechts”) may soon be found at the German agriculture ministry’s website.
For further information, please contact: Jan Heyen, +49 30 206 21109 or
visit the MAFT website
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