Arizona is central to US security interests. It is a rising economic powerhouse that is strategically positioned between two of the world’s largest economies California (fifth), and Mexico (twelfth), providing easy access to consumers (86 million+ within a one-day trucking radius), labour (skilled and unskilled), and capital. Arizona benefited disproportionately from Biden-era industrial policy initiatives (especially the CHIPs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act). Arizona’s international trade flows increased 12% in 2024 to over NZ$56.33 billion, compared to average export growth of just 2% in other US states.
Key industries include defence, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. Following TSMC’s March 2025 announcement of a further $100 billion investment, Arizona has attracted $NZ$359 billion+ investment into the semiconductor industry - the highest anywhere in the US.
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The world’s ability to forecast extreme weather events will be extended and enhanced with a $12m NZ Government grant to Te Whai Ao — Dodd-Walls Centre researchers in photonic and quantum technologies.
The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour funding announced today by Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti, comes just in time as NASA’s EOS-Aura satellite runs out of fuel in 2026. The grant means a quarter of a century of uninterrupted space-based climate monitoring will be continued, and cutting-edge space-ready photonic technologies will be advanced.
Team lead, Dodd-Walls Centre Principal Investigator, Professor Harald Schwefel, says the move will preserve a key environmental data series that forecasters and climate scientists are very concerned about losing.
“We estimate the public and private global costs of its loss could be greater than $1B per annum and tens of millions of dollars for New Zealand,” he says. “It is difficult to even imagine the true global costs of loss of this data. For New Zealand alone, the value of our forecast system is of the order of a billion dollars per annum and the accuracy of the forecasts from short-term weather to long-term climate is critical”, he says.
The NASA satellite detects the faint microwave/THz signal of climate gases from the earth’s atmosphere, including above Antarctica during polar winters. This is when other satellites can’t operate due to the lack of light. While in general, the Ozone Hole has been recovering, some of the largest recorded holes have formed in the last decade. Scientists are only just beginning to understand how poorly information about climate gases is being captured in climate models and how their interactions affect local weather
Despite the risk to global infrastructure and human life without the EOS-Aura satellite, there are no follow-up missions with this capability planned by other countries, due to the prohibitive costs.
Kiwi Ingenuity
Professor Schwefel says the research programme provides an amazing “tech-in-a box” alternative to the giant NASA satellite.
“Integrating NZ’s capabilities in quantum technology, photonics and atmospheric science with innovations in the NZ aerospace industry, our device will cost less, be more compact, more energy efficient, and detect the wide range of atmospheric gases that the previous satellite did,” Dr Schwefel says.
The team, led by experts in photonics and atmospheric science at the University of Otago, is building critical capability for space-based climate monitoring with next generation photonics. Together withindustry partners such as Paihau–Robinson Research Institute and Earth Science New Zealand as well as international counterparts from the United States, Finland, Australia and Spain, the group is using a technique called quantum-inspired non-linear frequency conversion.
A previous MBIE Smart Ideas grant enabled them to convert relevant microwave/THz radiation frequencies into the optical domain. This meant they could launch very compact, energy-efficient radiometers (radiation measurement devices) on low-cost CubeSats.
Now they will be able to develop the device to improve its sensitivity and to measure a wider range of gases. They will explore the use of Rydberg atoms - enormous, human-made atoms which are highly sensitive to external electric and magnetic fields. They plan to prove the device using high altitude balloons launched with the help of Kea Aerospace. Then they will develop a space-ready payload to fit into a CubeSat for ongoing measurement.
Economic Value
Professor Schwefel says as well as using the information on atmospheric gases to improve forecasts of extreme weather events, the grant will have far-reaching economic benefits.
“This will create opportunities for new commercial enterprises and new precision engineering outputs. It will also grow New Zealand’s precision instruments and aerospace industries. The photonic technology alone provides a platform for other high-value applications from quantum networks to breath analysis and spectroscopy,” he says.
Te Whai Ao – Dodd-Walls Director, Professor Frédérique Vanholsbeeck backs that view.
“A large proportion of our spin-out companies got their start with a Smart Ideas grant. Both the Smart Ideas and the MBIE Endeavour Funds have provided a pathway to commercial success in high-value areas which the private sector wouldn’t risk. This project is a real example of how years of dedicated research can culminate in significant business opportunities,” she says.
Background
The project team is led out of the University of Otago, with key individuals placed at the Earth Science New Zealand (formerly NIWA/MetService), Paihau-Robinson Research Institute, and the Universities of Auckland, Canterbury, and Waikato. Key international partnerships include NASA/JPL, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, ANCDF Canberra, UC3MMadrid, and Colorado School of Mines, USA. Key industry partners are Kea Aerospace, Whitika-LuxFidelity and Shamrock Industries. Community engagement will be led by Tūhura Otago Museum and Aerospace NZ.
Source: https://www.doddwalls.ac.nz/
Denver, the capital of Colorado, has become one of the primary hubs for New Zealand businesses in the United States, employing around 400-500 people, reflecting deepening commercial and investment ties between our two countries. Colorado State is an economic heavyweight, ranked 6th in the US for economic performance. With key industries including aerospace and technology, and with strong people to people links, Colorado holds significant relevance for New Zealand’s priorities.
The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between New Zealand and the State of Colorado in April 2025 underscores a shared commitment to advancing collaboration in science, innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, and signals a mutual intent to further deepen these. The MoC represents New Zealand’s second state-level arrangement with a US state, following the signing of the New Zealand-California MoC on climate cooperation in 2022.
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Colorado: The hub for New Zealand business in the Western United States
Coalition parties have agreed that overseas-based investors with a New Zealand investor residence visa will be allowed to buy a house here, to encourage more investment to grow the economy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.
“The ban on foreigners buying residential housing will remain. However, the Government wants to bring additional investment, skills, ideas and connections to New Zealand, and the Active Investor Plus residency visa allows that.
“It offers residency to a migrant who invests a minimum of $5 million to help grow the economy, passes a good character test, and has acceptable health.
“But, because Active Investor Plus residency visa-holders do not have to be in New Zealand for six months of a year, the foreign buyer ban means some do not meet the threshold for buying a house under the Overseas Investment Act.
“The Government has therefore decided that people with an Active Investor Plus residency visa will be allowed to buy or build one home.
“The minimum value of the house that can be bought or built will be set at $5 million – which equates to less than 1 per cent of New Zealand houses.
“This change navigates a path between those who do not want foreign ownership opened up, and the desire to attract high net worth investors by deepening their connection to our country to help grow the economy.
“There have been more than 300 applications for the Active Investor Plus residency visa since it was re-launched on April 1.
“If all these applications are approved and proceed, it means a potential total minimum investment of $1.8 billion in the New Zealand economy.
“Globally, New Zealand has a deserved reputation as a great place to live and we want to grow our economy. By opening our door just a little to allow significant investors to own a home, we will help attract more of those who want to contribute to the community and country.”
Note:
Individuals who received residence visas under the previous Investor 1 & 2 visas will also be eligible.
The Active Investor Plus categories are:
Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/
A Kiwi company that started life in a Taranaki farm shed less than a decade ago is now riding a global heatwave, with exports of its world-first wine cooler technology surging across the Northern Hemisphere.
Huski, the homegrown brand behind an ice-free Champagne cooler, has climbed to number one in its category on Amazon in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. The business is on track to double its eight-figure annual revenue this year, with sales spiking as extreme temperatures grip major export markets.
This summer, Europe and the US have seen record-shattering highs – Spain reached 46°C, Portugal hit 46.6°C, France logged its hottest June day since records began in 1947, and the UK and US endured prolonged heatwaves with cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas and Houston sweltering above 40°C for consecutive days.
Almost a million Huski beer and wine coolers have now been exported to more than 50 countries, including Germany, Japan and the UAE. The company also recently secured its largest-ever commercial order – 76,000 units to the UK.
What began with a PVC pipe prototype is now a patent-pending product range stocked in over 500 retail stores across New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the US, and has been featured by global outlets including Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQand Oprah’s Favorite Things.
Co-founder Simon Huesser says the inspiration came from a simple observation: Champagne has been enjoyed since the 1600s, yet little had changed in how it’s kept cold.
“Sparkling wines like Champagne and Prosecco are particularly sensitive to temperature and experts recommend serving them between 6°C and 10°C,” he says.
“Our Champagne cooler maintains that ideal range for up to six hours without ice, and features the patent-pending BubbleLock Bottle Stopper, which slows the loss of bubbles. We believe it’s a world-first feature.”
Huesser says their journey began by recognising a gap in the market for a universal solution.
“US beer cans are 355ml, Australia’s are 375ml and New Zealand’s are mostly 330ml. There was no one-size-fits-all, so we literally collected bottles and cans from recycling bins to get the sizing right.”
After building a following with its beer cooler, customer demand pushed the team to develop solutions for wine and sparkling. “Designing for sparkling wine came with new challenges – bigger bottles, varied shapes, and the need for something that matched the sense of occasion,” he says.
The result was a vacuum-insulated stainless steel cooler with a built-in, removable stopper.
“It’s not complicated, but it’s thoughtful,” says Huesser. “And because the stopper lives in the base, it’s always on hand – not lost in a drawer.”
The design won international acclaim, securing a 2025 Red Dot Design Award. “It puts us in the company of Apple, Dyson and Ferrari,” says Huesser.
“Being recognised by more than 40 international experts has been a career highlight.”
But with growth has come challenges – especially around intellectual property.
“As a design-led business, we’ve had to be proactive about IP protection from day one. We now run monthly sweeps to identify copycats and have successfully taken down hundreds of infringing listings,” Huesser says.
In one case, that vigilance led to opportunity. “We intercepted a shipment of 15,000 design-infringing coolers headed to Australia. After a conversation with the importer, it turned into a much larger legitimate order.”
Huski’s go-to-market strategy leans heavily on direct-to-consumer sales. “We typically enter new markets through Amazon, then expand through e-commerce, retail partners and loyalty programmes,” says Huesser. That model has seen sales double in the UK and Australia in the past year.
From a farm shed prototype to more than 1.5 million products sold worldwide, Huski’s growth has been rapid.
“More than three-quarters of our business now comes from overseas,” Huesser says. “And that growth shows no signs of slowing.”
Source: https://exportertoday.co.nz/
NZ Post General Manager of Export and International Solutions, Jared Handcock, says “we know how important it is for businesses to stay connected with their US customers, and we’ve worked quickly to bring on this new option, following the temporary suspension to parcel sending into the US announced last week."
“While this sending option is available for new and existing businesses with an NZ Post account, NZ Post is committed to continuing the work needed to restore all sending options."
NZ Post is also developing solutions for sending personal gifts to the US, which is one of the exceptions under the new tariff structure. Gifts valued at $100 USD or less, sent from one individual to another, will be allowed to enter the US without any taxes or duties applied.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sending gifts and other items through our retail stores possible again soon. We will update customers as soon as we have this available. We expect this to be in the next week or so,” says Handcock.
Customers can stay up to date with the latest delivery updates at nzpost.co.nz/international-delivery-updates.
More about the new service to the US for business customers
This solution is available to all on-account NZ Post business customers, including new sign-ups. While this new service provides a pathway for businesses or commercial operators, NZ Post acknowledges that personal senders, such as individuals sending parcels to friends or family, are still waiting for a solution. Currently, they can send letters and documents to the US, but parcel sending remains unavailable.
This follows NZ Post’s temporary suspension of selected parcel services to the US last week, triggered by new US tariffs and removal of the duty-free (de minimis) threshold. These changes require multiple updates to how items are declared, processed, and taxed. To ensure compliance, sending was suspended while the required changes are made across our processes and systems. From 29 August 2025 (US Eastern Standard Time), items sent from New Zealand to the US will be subject to duties and taxes, regardless of value, with the exemption of gifts.
Businesses interested in opening an account with NZ Post can find more information at nzpost.co.nz
The Government has announced the closure of the Entrepreneur Work Visa and introduced a new Business Investor Visa to attract experienced investors who will help grow New Zealand’s economy by actively running businesses.
About the Business Investor Visa
The Business Investor Work Visa will open for applications in November 2025 and offer 2 investment options:
NZD $1 million investment in an existing business, for a 3-year work-to-residence pathway
NZD $2 million investment in an existing business, for a 12-month fast-track to residence pathway
Applicants can purchase a business outright on either visa pathway or acquire at least 25% of the business, provided they meet the minimum $1 million or $2 million investment thresholds.
Applicants may also include their partner and dependent children in their application.
Both options lead to eligibility to apply for the Business Investor Resident Visa.
A Business Investor Visa may be granted for up to 4 years.
The cost of the Business Investor Work Visa will be NZD $12,380. This includes the visa application fee and immigration levy.
The Business Investor Work Visa complements the Active Investor Plus Visa, which was refreshed in April 2025, and is part of a broader update to business immigration settings to attract investment, talent, and international connections.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Business Investor work visa, applicants must:
meet the minimum investment threshold
show they have at least NZD $500,000 to support themselves (and their family if they are including them in their application) while establishing their business
be aged 55 or younger when they apply
meet English language requirements (IELTS 5.0 or equivalent)
meet health and character requirements
meet business experience requirements
invest in a business that meets the financial threshold and employs at least 5 full-time equivalent staff.
Business investment requirements
The following business types are not acceptable business investments under this visa:
businesses involved in:
drop-shipping
gambling
the manufacturing of tobacco or other nicotine-based products, including vaping
adult entertainment
convenience stores (for example, corner dairies)
businesses that offer immigration advisory services, or that were purchased from a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA), or where an LIA is materially involved
discount or value stores (for example, NZD $2 shops)
fast food outlets
franchised businesses
home-based businesses (businesses only operating from a residential address).
Entrepreneur Category closure
The Entrepreneur Category is now closed to new applications for the Entrepreneur Work Visa.
If you have applied for an Entrepreneur Work Visa
If you have recently submitted an application for an Entrepreneur Work Visa, we will process it following the rules that were in place when you applied.
If you withdraw your application, you will not be eligible for a refund of any fees or levies already paid, regardless of the reason for your withdrawal.
If you currently hold an Entrepreneur Work Visa
Entrepreneur Work Visa holders will still be able to apply for residence, as the Entrepreneur Resident Visa will remain open.
If you need more time to meet Entrepreneur residence requirements, you can still apply for an Entrepreneur Work Visa renewal to maintain your pathway to residence.
Entrepreneur Work Visa
Entrepreneur Resident Visa
If you want to apply for a Business Investor Work Visa, you will need to submit a new application when the visa opens and pay the fees and levies.
More information
We will be sharing more information about the Business Investor Visa in October. This will include information to help compare it with the Active Investor Plus Visa for those considering both options.
You can read more details on the Business Investor Visa announcement on the Beehive website:
New Business Investor Visa to support growth — Beehive.govt.nz
The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2025–26, Compliance Simplification, and Remedial Measures) Bill introduces reforms long championed by AmCham and the international business community.
FIF – Revenue Account Method
A practical elective for new and returning residents that taxes dividends plus part of realised gains (with loss relief). This simplifies compliance for globally mobile executives and investors—especially those with pre‑residency, unlisted holdings.
The proposals will provide welcome relief to eligible taxpayers, but could have gone further to capture a broader scope of situations. We are hopeful there will be a chance for further changes as the Bill progresses, to ensure the proposals meet the needs of a wider range of taxpayers.
Visitor & remote work settings
Targeted exemptions linked to Visa timeframes mean short‑term business visitors and remote workers can operate from NZ without triggering full income tax or PAYE obligations for themselves or their offshore employers. Optional GST registration and integrity measures keep the system robust.
These changes reduce friction for cross‑border talent and capital—supporting NZ’s competitiveness as a hub for international business and mesh well with the US tax systems for individuals and venture capital.
Paul Dunne, Chair AmCham Tax Committee & Partner, EY.
Tariffs on wood products exported to the United Sates remain at ‘0’ percent as the section 232 Investigation aimed at determining the global effects imports of timber, lumber and their derivative products pose to the U.S. supply chain continues.
Although the ‘0’ percent tariff rate is a welcome relief for wood product exporters, the uncertainty of what may eventuate from the section 232 Investigation is causing nervousness across New Zealand wood processers and manufacturers who export over NZD$370 million of value-added wood product to the United States. Developments over the weekend included President Trump announcing on a Truth Social post that a major new tariff investigation on furniture (incl. wooden furniture) coming into the United States will be completed within 50 days at a tariff rate to be determined. This was followed by release of the draft EU and U.S. Trade Agreement Framework which promptly ensures that the tariff rate applied to section 232 actions on lumber does not exceed 15 percent. ‘These announcements create further uncertainty, with a survey of our main U.S. exporters of wood products to the U.S. highlighting that a tariff rate of 5 percent or over will have a significant hit on their profitability in the longer-term.’ Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA) Chief Executive, Mark Ross, said. ‘The U.S. is a growing market for our value-added wood products and with a drop off in NZ domestic demand, profitable export markets are critical to growing our industry.’ Having our Trade Minister, Todd McClay, speaking up in support of the NZ wood processing industry on the section 232 Investigation in his recent Washington negotiations with U.S. Trade Representatives, is highly valued by WPMA members and we thank the Minister and his negotiation team for backing our exporters. ‘The key is to present a united face across industry and government to the U.S. decision makers as to the value of our wood products to the U.S. and that our products are not a threat to their domestic timber manufacturing or supply chain,’ said Ross. With the outcome of this section 232 investigation expected no later than early December, WPMA will continue to engage with our allied U.S. Associations, who are lobbying the U.S. Administration to keep imported timber and lumber products tariff free as a means of levelling recent domestic U.S. house price rises and maintaining robust supply chains. New Zealand is known in the U.S. for providing high value and high-quality wood products, most of which is sold into the DIY end user’s market, such as Home Depot, Lowes and Menards. As a small niche supplier of wood products that are needed by the U.S. domestic building market, such as long clear Radiata pine boards, mouldings and primed product, there is a strong argument for keeping New Zealand timber and lumber imports tariff free. With comments from exporters such as customers in the U.S. are already pressurising us to reduce product price, it will be a tough ask to pass any additional tariff costs on should they prevail. ‘While the section 232 Investigation continues WPMA will do what we can to advocate to keep New Zealand imported timber, lumber and their derivatives into the United Sates tariff free’, said Ross, ‘But, at the end of the day the U.S. President will be the final tariff rate decision maker, and we know from experience we need to be ready to expect the unexpected.’
WPMA’s survey of timber and lumber exporters to the U.S, key findings included: • Due to the small profitability margins, anything over a 5 percent tariff would cause 50 percent of exporters to rethink as to the value of exporting to the U.S. • If a tariff was introduced, most exporters would both pass tariff costs onto their customer and absorb the cost, while a small percentage would look at diverting product to other markets. • Half indicated that higher tariffs on other competitive countries, should they eventuate, may provide an advantage to their business. Media Contact: Mark Ross, Chief Executive, Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ 027 442 9965 mark@wpma.org.nz
Seahawk helicopters and Airbus planes are set to replace aging New Zealand Defence Force aircraft in the first major investment decisions to be made as part of the Government’s Defence Capability Plan (DCP).
Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced investment decisions of $2.7 billion, with the MH-60R Seahawk the preferred option to replace the existing maritime helicopters. The Airbus A321XLR (extra long range) aircraft will replace the aging 757 fleet.
“This decision will ensure New Zealand has a critical combat capable, interoperable and dependable fleet,” Ms Collins says.
“The MH-60R Seahawk is a great aircraft for what New Zealand needs and fulfils our objective of having a more integrated Anzac force, and the new planes will give us reliable aircraft to deploy personnel and respond to international events.”
Mr Peters says these decisions show how the Government is responding to the sharply deteriorating security environment.
“Global tensions are increasing rapidly, and we must invest in our national security to ensure our economic prosperity.
“The DCP provides the foundation for our uplift in defence spending, and two-yearly reviews of the plan will allow us to adapt to an ever-changing security environment.”
The $2 billion plus investment in maritime helicopters and $700 million investment in the new Airbus A321XLRs are both part of the $12 billion in planned commitments outlined in the 2025 DCP announced in April.
Ms Collins says the maritime helicopters are versatile and add combat and deterrent capability to our naval fleet.
“These five Seahawks will increase the offensive and defensive capability and surveillance range of New Zealand’s frigates and ensure we are interoperable with our ally Australia and other partner defence forces,” she says.
“We will now move at pace to procure helicopters directly through the United States’ Foreign Military Sales programme instead of going to a wider tender, with Cabinet expected to consider the final business case next year.
“The two new Airbus A321XLR aircraft will be acquired on a six-year lease to buy arrangement, with capital costs of $620 million and four-year operating costs of $80.86 million.
“New Zealand needs reliable aircraft to deploy our personnel, deliver military equipment and humanitarian aid, support the evacuation of civilians, and transport government trade and diplomatic delegations quickly, over long distances, and often at short notice.
“The decision to acquire the extra long range aircraft reflects the importance of having an aircraft capable of such things as returning safely from Antarctica if it is unable to land due to conditions on the ice.
“Our Defence Force personnel have proven time and time again they do an outstanding job and we must ensure they have the tools that are up to the task.”
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