Doing Business in China Now Easier for ANZ Customers
28 January 2011
ANZ has become the first major New Zealand bank to do a trade deal in the Chinese currency renminbi (RMB), a capability that will make it easier for New Zealand firms to do business with China, says ANZ New Zealand Institutional Managing Director David Green. “Until recently the renminbi (also called the Chinese Yuan) was strictly controlled. China is progressively deregulating and internationalising its currency. This opens up considerable opportunities for New Zealand businesses.
“This is a significant milestone in helping ANZ’s customers trade with China. China is New Zealand’s second largest trading partner with trading volumes over NZ$11 billion for the last 12 months and this is expected to continue to grow strongly. With ANZ’s offshore RMB capabilities, New Zealand companies will have more options for negotiating price and settlement when trading with Chinese entities.
“Securing this deal involved collaboration across our network, particularly with ANZ Hong Kong. ANZ has the largest Asian footprint of any of the major New Zealand banks. This deal is a tangible example of how customers can utilise ANZ’s increasingly large and capable Asian network. We are already linking customers to business opportunities in Greater China and across Asia Pacific. Our investment in the Asian network is delivering benefits for customers doing business in the region,” said Mr Green.
The RMB transaction was completed on behalf of NAC Trading Ltd, a Wellington-based trading company that supplies quality food and forestry products to Chinese buyers. Managing Director Mr W. G. Huang was very pleased to be part of ANZ’s first RMB deal. “Using RMB as a settlement currency gives us a competitive advantage as we can transact in the currency that our customers want to deal with. It enables us to gain a better New Zealand dollar return on our exports and gives us greater flexibility to manage our foreign exchange risks,” said Mr Huang.
ENDS