Talks promote Aust. market

Press, 29 June 1989, Page 4

Talks promote Aust. market

Potential exporters are being targeted by the New Zealand Trade Development Board for a series of workshops highlighting market opportunities in Australia.

Called Opportunity Australia, the campaign will begin throughout New Zealand next week. Its aim is to ensure that more New Zealand products find their way to our closest market. The South Island workshops will begin in Christchurch on Friday, July 7, and conclude in Invercargill on July 13. They will be attended by the New Zealand Trade Commissioners in Melbourne, Mr John Nicholson, and Adelaide, Mr Paul Preiss. With a population five times that of New Zealand, Australia is our second largest export market and our largest market for manufactured

goods. From July 1, 1990, all tariffs and quantitative restrictions on New Zealand exports to Australia will be lifted along with those on Australian imports.

“The aim of the exercise is to increase exporters’ awareness of the expanding opportunities in Australia,” said the board’s southern region manager, Mr John Waugh.

“It is the first of what I hope will be a number of similar exercises to raise the profile of the importance of exporting to the New Zealand economy,” he said. Interest in the South Island workshops was growing and 20 Christchurch companies had already registered for the forum, he said. The two-hour workshops will include a video presentation, addresses by

the two trade commissioners and a commentary by the Ministry of External Relations and Trade representative, Mr Rory McLeod, on the closer economic relations trade agreement. Companies wanting to pursue market opportunities in Australia will be free to meet the workshop speakers after their formal presentation. Mr Waugh said the board had sent out invitations to about 2000 contacts.

The South Island venues and dates are: Christchurch, July 7; Greymouth, July 10; Timaru, July 11; Dunedin, July 12, and Invercargill, July 13. Company representatives who want to attend should contact their local Trade Development Board office.