The American people have spoken. America’s “better angels” have prevailed. We all hope for better times ahead, but, while there is ample scope to expand co-operation with a Biden Administration in the White House, the future is unlikely to be all plain sailing. The...
Dame Vera Lynn’s iconic song about the hope which sustained Britain during WWII might point equally to the challenges posed by Britain’s messy divorce from the European Union. The date for the decree nisi – 31 December - is just two months away, with much detail...
This is a critical time. Make your vote count on election day. New Zealand’s future prosperity and sustainability depend on it. It’s election day in Aotearoa/New Zealand on 17 October. As in previous elections, the team at Trade Works is publishing here the...
The Asia-Pacific is the destination for three-quarters of New Zealand’s exports, and includes many of our key trading partners. More broadly, the APEC region is a major engine for global economic growth. What is New Zealand's digital future in this dynamic region? ...
Rachel Taulelei, CEO of Kono and ABAC Chair for 2021 looks at how business can contribute and prepare for APEC 21 which the Government has announced will be held on virtual digital platforms. Tēnā koutou katoa In these unpredictable times it is challenging to think...
The World Trade Organisation’s system of global trade rules has helped to lift millions from poverty and underpinned seventy years of global prosperity. As WTO members consider candidates for a new Director General this week, however, the WTO faces a crisis of...
What role can New Zealand play with “global Britain”? If negotiations beginning this week are successful, New Zealand’s economic relationship with the United Kingdom could be returned to something more open and dynamic, if not completely like things were in a dimly...
Trade changed significantly in the years following the creation of the World Wide Web in 1990, and then again exponentially with the advent of the first iPhone in 2007. Rather than more traditional trade shipped by sea or air, “digital trade” can now be weightless,...
The Chinese Premier expresses interest in China joining CPTPP. This should be encouraged. “China has a positive and open attitude about joining CPTPP”. These words of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the conclusion of the recent National People’s Congress mark the...
Diversifying the New Zealand export economy is a worthy goal but requires a dose of commercial reality. A 2018 study of 183 economies’ dependence on China, undertaken by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, showed that New Zealand ranked 93rd. ...