Trade mission heading to Taiwan

Trade mission heading to Taiwan to celebrate ANZTEC agreement

A 30 strong trade delegation sets off for Taiwan this Saturday, the first comprehensive such mission there since the ANZTEC free trade agreement came into force last December.

The mission which includes a Hong Kong and Macau option is organized by Export NZ in partnership with NZ Trade and Enterprise, and is to be led by Charles Finny, who negotiated the ANZTEC agreement, along with Export NZ chairman Sir Ken Stevens and Business NZ chief executive Phil O’Reilly.

A highlight of the mission’s itinerary will be a formal lunch of senior officials and business people to be hosted by New Zealand’s Commerce and Industry Office to be addressed by Mr Finny and a senior official from Taiwan.

“Taiwan is an affluent market of 23 million people and the ANZTEC agreement has opened unprecedented access to it for New Zealand traders,” Mr Finny said.

“After four years, 98.7 per cent of our current exports to Chinese Taipei will be duty free.

“From day one of the agreement last December virtually all our dairy exports, and all our apples, cherries and wine were rated at zero duty.

“Taiwan is already our top market for apples.

“All beef exports will become duty free over the next one to two years, and kiwifruit will be available there duty free within three years.

“Furthermore exporters claiming the trade preferences under ANZTEC can do so in effect by simply writing their own certificate of origin in accordance with broadly applied rules of origin.

Sir Ken Stevens, Chairman of Export NZ said, “The ANZTEC agreement opens the door for a rapid increase in two-way trade for both New Zealand and Taiwan.

“The trade boost will not just be in goods directly benefiting from the speedy elimination of tariffs which gives traders a significant advantage over their competitors, but also in the general increase in trade between our two countries that will increase the prosperity of both economies.”

“ANZTEC is a fully comprehensive agreement,” Mr Finny added.

“It includes an air services policy, facilitates faster Customs procedures for New Zealand goods, liberalises trade in services and investment, and addresses issues around intellectual property.

“The agreement also specifically opens the possibility for film and television co-productions and facilitates closer cultural and commercial linkages between Māori and the indigenous peoples of Taiwan.”

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