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  • 13 Nov 2019 7:19 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington DC today to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities.

    Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The meeting will be chaired by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

    “Despite the recent death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS remains a threat.  Addressing that threat will require ongoing international cooperation,” says Mr Peters.

    While in Washington DC, Mr Peters will also hold meetings with the Trump Administration and Members of Congress, aimed at advancing the relationship between New Zealand and the United States.

    “As this Government has repeatedly made clear since taking office two years ago, New Zealand wishes to initiate Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the United States,” Mr Peters says.

    “This visit will build on an officials meeting last week where our two countries agreed to enhance the bilateral trade and investment relationship. We are looking to take things to the next level,” says Mr Peters.

    Mr Peters will be travelling 14-17 November.

    Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/

  • 29 Oct 2019 5:05 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Good afternoon.

    First, thank you all for your attendance this afternoon and let me acknowIedge the efforts of Jordan Small for both the invitation and arranging today’s event.

    Before turning to the US –NZ relationship, it is important to raise one matter which has concerned the Government this week and that is the fire in the convention centre.

    The hosting of the APEC Leaders meeting in November 2021 has always been of importance for the country and Auckland City in particular.  Without doubt the fire is a setback. 

    What we need to do now and what we will do is demonstrate that New Zealand is a first world country and we has the ability to respond.

    In fact,  how we respond will speak volumes about our country.  Our challenge is to demonstrate we have the capability and can deliver on our prepared contingency options. How we respond will arguably showcase Auckland  just as much as if this disasterous fire didn’t happen.

    There is alot more information to gather and assessments to be made to develop our response. But the Government’s view is we are confident we can and will successfully host APEC.

    It will require extra effort from all of us, including many of you here today.   However, with applied effort it is achievable.  And the government looks forward to working with you in that regard.

    This Government knows where its strategic interest lies and that brings me to the critical importance of the United States to New Zealand, and to our corner of the world in general.

    The relationship is, of course, made up of many interwoven strands.  We enjoy close political ties born of our long history of friendship; our shared advocacy for democratic values and norms; and our track record of working closely together in regional and global affairs over the past several decades.

    The commercial significance of the US for New Zealand businesses is huge, as you would expect for our fourth-largest trading partner.  Two-way trade is worth more than $18 billion each year, and we want to take action to see that grow.

    We continue to see high profile business investments and transactions taking place between New Zealand and American firms – for example, Air New Zealand’s recent Boeing Dreamliner purchase.   

    We are also seeing substantial growth in numbers of people travelling between the US and New Zealand.  We received around 368,000 visitors from the US in the year to July, making the US our third largest international visitor market.

    And from June this year, New Zealand business people have been able to access E1 and E2 visas for the first time – a joint achievement for the US and New Zealand under the KIWI Act.

    The Government is investing too in a positive future for the relationship – for instance, in doubling our contribution to the Fulbright New Zealand programme, to make sure our best and brightest young people can get access to top US universities.

    In short, the current state of the bilateral relationship is excellent.  Moreover, the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump in New York on 23 September was a milestone.  It was clear from that conversation that we enjoy support at the highest levels in Washington, D.C. for lifting the relationship to its fullest potential.

    For all of these reasons and others, it has been important to prioritise a series of meetings with my American counterparts through visits to Washington, D.C. in December 2018 and then again in July this year.

    The key to continued success with the US will be respect, and personal relationships.  If my discussions in July were any indication, US leaders have started to look at New Zealand with a fresh appreciation for the benefits of working with us, and with a renewed sense of the opportunities for regional cooperation.

    In an address to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. in July, my speeched focused on some of the historic ties that bind us as long-standing regional democracies and strategic partners.  Our political systems and values are underpinned by pluralism; by respect for human rights and religious freedoms; and by a commitment to maintaining the rule of law.

    These are the values that form the bedrock of our status as two of only nine countries around the world that have held continuous democratic elections since 1854.

    It is evident however that the underlying strength of some of these foundational democratic values is increasingly being challenged in the Pacific, as they are elsewhere.  My contention is that, to ensure regional prosperity, we must work together to create the conditions that will allow those values to flourish.

    This demands a step up in our respective levels of commitment to the region.  New Zealand has taken that step, in the form of the Pacific Reset.  We are committed through the Reset to building deeper, more mature political partnerships with Pacific Island countries, while supporting their independence and sustainable social and economic resilience.

    My Georgetown University address in December 2018 set out to express a point of view on the importance of greater US engagement in the Pacific.  Nearly a year on, we see real progress in collaborative effort among likeminded partners, including New Zealand and the US, to work together to enhance regional security and developmental assistance.

    It was also an opportunity to point out that, as likeminded partners, we need to support each other economically by ensuring we reduce and remove barriers to trade, and by understanding each other’s economic imperatives.

    New Zealand already makes strong contributions to defence, security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific, and across the Blue Continent of the South Pacific.  We are eager to maintain and build on our contribution.  But we can only do this if we are economically prosperous.

    And therein lies the rationale behind our decision to act decisively and to place a high priority on building a stronger bilateral economic relationship between the US and New Zealand, through a Free Trade Agreement.

    In addition to the economic benefits of a stronger relationship for the US and New Zealand, an FTA with New Zealand would also send a signal about the seriousness of US engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.

    The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans‑Pacific Partnership Agreement, or CPTPP, has been an important benchmark in that regard.  While not all of us endorsed every single aspect of the original TPP, it was still a matter of concern to us that the US chose to withdraw when they did.  Aside from the loss of market access, the result has been a regrettable retrenchment of US economic presence, profile and influence from the region, at a time when it is most certainly needed and warranted.

    We see it as being in America’s interest – and in our own – for the US to retain its place at the table when it comes to setting the rules that will guide the region’s economic development and trade patterns long into the future.

    We have a choice.  We either work together to ensure the regional rules of commerce protect the fundamental pillars our firms need to succeed – open markets, enforcement of contracts, access to independent judiciaries, and penalties for corruption and nepotism.  Or we leave the rules to be written by others, placing our companies’ livelihoods in jeopardy.

    A stronger economic relationship with New Zealand would also help to arrest another concerning trend.  Despite our strong economic links, the US share of exports to New Zealand is declining relative to other partners with whom we have FTAs.  This is consistent with the broader trend for US exports around the region as a whole.  And it illustrates what the US stands to gain by turning that trajectory around.

    The point is backed by the numbers.  Though US exports to the world have grown by 5.3 percent on average per year since 1990, the share of US total exports to New Zealand dropped, from nearly 18 percent to 10 percent.

    Meanwhile, imports from our regional partners with whom we have FTAs have grown significantly in relative terms over the same period.  China’s exports to New Zealand, for instance, have grown on average by 17 percent per year.  And China's share of total exports to New Zealand has grown from 1 percent to 20 percent during that time – becoming our largest source of imported goods.

    The shift is even more drastic for the US share of imports across Asia.  In 1990, 17.4 percent of all goods imported to Asia came from the US, whereas by 2018 that share had fallen to just 7.4 percent.  Put another way, the US has lost half of its market share in Asia over a 28 year period.

    Naturally, with the revamped CPTPP agreement now in force, we would welcome a US return to the fold, under the revised set of rules and conditions.

    But as things stand, we also contend that there is a viable path forward to be found in a bilateral FTA process with the US.  You will recall that President Trump declared the US as being open ‘to making bilateral trade agreements with any Indo-Pacific nation that wants to be our partner and that will abide by the principles of fair and reciprocal trade.’ 

    Of all countries, New Zealand has to be among the best credentialed to make good on our side of that deal.  Indeed, we are uniquely ready to take the next step, given our proven track record in pursuing ambitious trade deals, and our advocacy for ‘free and fair’ global trade.

    New Zealand’s interest in a bilateral trade deal with the US is not new.  Some of you will be aware that New Zealand’s desire for ‘a reciprocal trade treaty’ was articulated by former Finance Minister Walter Nash to President Roosevelt and members of the US State Department and Treasury, as far back as 1939.

    Which brings us to today, some eighty years later. And all of you will want to know where we see an FTA process going over the course of the next year, and beyond.  In fact, MFAT’s senior trade official will be meeting with his US opposites in Washington, D.C. soon to talk through some of the options.

    These are still very early days for an FTA discussion.  Naturally, we would by no means expect an FTA negotiation to be a straightforward process.  There will inevitably be disagreements and differences.  But we refuse to accept that the right result cannot be attained, simply because it would be challenging in certain respects.

    Many here might agree that there can only be benefits to business if we succeed in diversifying our export destination options.  And in my view, there is still a lot of headroom for strong growth in New Zealand’s exports to the US market. 

    In an uncertain geostrategic environment, it will serve us well to ensure we are keeping open as many avenues as we can to trade with our partners abroad.  This is why this Government continues to press ahead with negotiations with the EU, the Pacific Alliance, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (or RCEP), and others.

    We do not deny that there would likely be some challenging choices for us to face if we want to get an FTA with the US over the line.  Some of those thorny issues have already seen the light of day in TPP negotiations – on market access ambition, pharmaceuticals, copyright and the like.

    But we need to think positively about all of this, focus our attention forward, and keep the end goal in sight.  We have agreement in principle now from US leaders that this is the right direction for the relationship to be going.  As I said in Washington, D.C. in July, the lack of a trade deal is an obvious gap in an otherwise exemplary bilateral relationship.  And we have not made the progress on a trade agreement that we should have done.

    We have been patient for eighty years.  The time to act is now, while we have so much to play for in economic and strategic terms.

    We have been clear about the direction that we see this relationship going.  We are optimistic about finding common ground when it comes to matters of economic prosperity.  And we can all be confident that an improved trade relationship between New Zealand and the US will be one of those areas.  And I have been assured by Vice President Pence and other top US political figures that they share that vision.

    So we are continuing to push in that direction.  It is not an easy prospect, and we will undoubtedly need to call on the support of the New Zealand-US Council and other members of New Zealand’s business community as we work to make it happen.  But with patience and persistence, it is an outcome within our grasp.

    Thank you.

    TOP


  • 29 Oct 2019 8:51 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Airline also adds new direct service from Dallas-Fort Worth to Auckland

    FORT WORTH, Texas — A trip to the breathtaking landscape of the majestic Southern Alps will become much shorter when American Airlines launches the only nonstop service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Christchurch, New Zealand (CHC), next October. The airline is also adding the only direct service between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), which will increase connecting opportunities for more customers across the United States. These routes are a direct result of the recently approved joint business with Qantas, which delivers new customer benefits like enhanced codeshare opportunities and increased frequent flyer benefits for American and Qantas customers.

    The gateway to the South Island

    Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and as the only carrier to operate this route, American will introduce its customers to one of the world’s most unique destinations.

    “The South Island sums up everything that our customers are looking for in New Zealand — adventure, culture and wildlife found no where else,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “We want to make their lifelong dreams a reality and bring New Zealand’s beauty even closer as the gateway to the South Island where you can drive, hike, cruise and fly to a variety of classic New Zealand experiences.”

    American will fly to CHC three times per week from October 2020 through March 2021 on a Boeing 787-8. The 787-8 features 20 Flagship Business seats and 28 Premium Economy seats, providing additional comfort for the 13-hour flight. The aircraft offers a variety of entertainment options for customers, with access to power at every seat, live television, and hundreds of movies, music, games and TV shows.

    LAX to CHC creates unique one-stop connections to the South Island not previously available by any other carrier. Qantas and Jetstar will connect passengers from CHC on to Wellington and Melbourne — some of the most popular destinations in the Pacific.

    A new way to New Zealand

    American currently operates seasonal service from LAX to AKL and will add new service from DFW next year. Flights will be operated with American’s state-of-the-art 787-9, with 30 Flagship Business seats and 21 Premium Economy seats. New flights from DFW to AKL will enable new one-stop connections to New Zealand from more than 70 cities across the United States.

    “Now, we’re able to get customers from places like Louisville, Savannah or Monterrey, Mexico, all the way to New Zealand with just one stop,” said Raja.

    As American enhances its commitment to the region, seasonal LAX to AKL service will resume earlier next year — Oct. 7 — adding three weeks of service to the increasingly popular destination.

    “The South Island is a must-see for any international visitor to New Zealand,” said Stephen England-Hall, Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive. “Thanks to the new nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Christchurch and Dallas-Fort Worth to Auckland, it’s is now easier than ever before to experience all that unique and welcoming New Zealand has to offer.”

    Benefits of the Qantas Joint Business

    American and Qantas recently received final approval to form a joint business, which promises significant customer benefits not possible through any other form of cooperation. The carriers have already rolled out improved frequent flyer benefits, including higher earning rates for points and status credits on each airline’s network, and have expanded codeshare routes on each other’s network. Qantas will also increase from six weekly flights between Sydney, Australia (SYD), and DFW to daily service by mid-2020. Additionally, Qantas announced new service from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE), which will launch in February and April respectively. Qantas will have its code on American’s new flights to New Zealand, giving Qantas frequent flyers more opportunities to earn and redeem Qantas points and status credits on American. Next year, American and Qantas will provide the most service to Australia and New Zealand from the United States.

    LAX–AKL flights beginning in Oct. 2020 will be available for purchase starting Nov. 9. New LAX–CHC and DFW–AKL flights will be available for purchase starting Nov. 30.

    www.aa.com

  • 23 Oct 2019 6:45 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    New era for Air New Zealand’s International Network 

    Air New Zealand is accelerating its ambitions for North America and will launch a non-stop service between Auckland and New York using its 787-9 Dreamliner in October 2020.  

    To direct capacity to faster-growing markets, the airline has also made the difficult decision to withdraw from its daily Los Angeles-London service from October 2020.   

    Air New Zealand Acting Chief Executive Officer Jeff McDowall says while it’s hard to farewell such an iconic route, the airline must remain focused on markets with the greatest opportunity for long-term profitable growth.

    “Air New Zealand is strongest when operating direct flights to and from our home base and this reset will put us in the best possible position to take advantage of increasing demand across the Pacific Rim. 

    “Visitor growth to New Zealand is strongest from North America and performance of our new service to Chicago is exceeding expectations. New York has been an aspiration for Air New Zealand for some time and withdrawal from the Atlantic will free up aircraft capacity to make this milestone a reality,” says Mr McDowall.
     

    Air New Zealand will fly between Auckland and its alliance partner United Airlines’ New York hub Newark Liberty International Airport three times weekly, year-round, using its latest configuration Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

    Tickets for Air New Zealand’s New York service will go on sale soon, subject to regulatory approvals and landing slot confirmation. 

    London decision 

    Los Angeles-London has been a flagship route for Air New Zealand and an important link connecting New Zealand and Europe since its launch in 1982, however Mr McDowall says market dynamics have affected performance in recent years. 

     “Today Kiwis have more than twice the number of ways to fly to London than a decade ago and preferences have changed. Less than seven percent of all airline travellers between Auckland and London chose to fly via Los Angeles last year. 

    “At the same time, the Atlantic has become one of the most hotly contested routes in the world and Air New Zealand lacks the home market advantages and scale of the North American and European airlines we’re up against.” 

    Mr McDowall says the hardest aspect of the decision is the impact on Air New Zealand’s people who’ve worked incredibly hard to build the route and to achieve the highest customer satisfaction levels across the airline’s international network.  

    “Sadly, the withdrawal will see the disestablishment of our London cabin crew base of around 130 people and, subject to consultation, around 25 roles in our Hammersmith sales office and ground team. We will be working with our people and their union to help with the next steps in their career, including looking at opportunities in other areas of the airline.”  

    Los Angeles-London will operate as scheduled until October 2020 and no tickets have been sold beyond this date. Air New Zealand has chosen to announce the withdrawal more than a year in advance to allow time to support its people and to avoid any impact to customers booked to travel.

    Europe, including the UK, remains a significant sales region for Air New Zealand. Currently more than two thirds of revenue generated by its London team is unrelated to the Atlantic route and the airline will retain a sales, marketing and cargo presence in London to serve this important market, including after the cessation of its Los Angeles-London service.

    “We fully expect customers will want to take advantage of the many connection options on our partner networks through Air New Zealand’s gateways in Asia and the Americas, including New York. It’s important to us that customers continue to enjoy a seamless journey, and we’ll be working closely with our partners to ensure the best experience and benefits for travellers,” says Mr McDowall.

    • From October 2020, Air New Zealand customers will be able to travel year-round between Auckland and London with partner airlines via 12 gateways in Asia and the Americas, including New York.
    • Air New Zealand will operate its 787-9 ‘Code 2’ aircraft to New York. This aircraft has a 275-seat configuration with a higher proportion of Business Premier and Premium Economy seating.
    • At a flight time of 15hr 40m northbound and 17hr 40m southbound, the 14,178 kilometre route will be Air New Zealand’s longest and the fifth longest in the world by distance.

     

  • 16 Oct 2019 1:42 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Ground-Breaking Radar Advances Space Traffic Safety in LEO Menlo Park, CA, October 14, 2019— LeoLabs, Inc., the leading commercial provider of low Earth orbit (LEO) mapping and space situational awareness (SSA) services, introduced a new era of transparency in LEO today with the launch of its Kiwi Space Radar (KSR). As the first commercial radar to track objects in LEO smaller than 10 centimeters, the KSR sets a new standard for tracking the full range of threats to satellites from orbital debris. Located in New Zealand, the KSR also expands LeoLabs’ radar network to the southern hemisphere, and marks the first of a series of next generation LeoLabs radars to be deployed globally.

    “The Kiwi Space Radar raises the bar on addressing the threat of collisions that have never before been tracked in LEO,” said Michael Nicolls, co-founder and LeoLabs Chief Technology Officer. “By operating at a higher frequency than our earlier sensors, the KSR was designed to track an estimated 250,000 additional objects down to 2 centimeters in size. These objects account for most of the risk of collisons in space, and KSR is the first big step towards addressing that risk. It will enable thousands of new satellites to safely use LEO.

    “The Kiwi Space Radar represents a huge step in executing on our vision for customers and investors,” said Dan Ceperley, cofounder and CEO of LeoLabs. “As thousands of satellites and new constellations deploy into LEO, our mission is to provide a backdrop of data-driven transparency and certainty to support satellite operators, regulators, space agencies, and industries that rely on satellite services. Today’s KSR announcement proves a foundational piece of this vision. Our radar network constitutes a clear strategic advantage for us in building the leading LEO services platform and the ‘catalogue of the future’ for low Earth orbit.” 

    Kiwi Space Radar --- Innovation Highlights In addition to tracking small debris, the Kiwi Space Radar incorporates other significant features: • Automated search capability. As LeoLabs builds out the LEO catalog of the future, the KSR provides the ability to automatically search, discover objects and events. Generating orbital information without the need for human intervention will provide a more timely and complete picture for SSA and traffic management services. • Southern hemisphere coverage. The KSR is the first phased-array radar of its class located in the southern hemisphere. It improves frequency of revisits, enables better orbit assessment, and improves monitoring of maneuvers and events. • Improved precision in measurements and orbit determination. Because the KSR dramatically increases the quantity and quality of observations for each satellite and piece of orbital debris, LeoLabs can deliver greater accuracy and timeliness to support mission decisions and threat assessment.

    LeoLabs Investment in New Zealand “Locating the Kiwi Space Radar in New Zealand was a strategic decision for LeoLabs, and we are excited to become a full-fledged participant in this emerging space sector,” said Dan Ceperley. “Our investment model is aligned with New Zealand’s vision of sustainable development and responsible stewardship of space.

    Through the leadership of the New Zealand Space Agency, and initiatives such as the Innovative Partnership program from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), New Zealand is building what we believe to be one of the great space sectors for the next generation.” Ceperley added, “A benefit of our presence in New Zealand is that we’ve had the opportunity to engage across many communities, ranging from Ministerial levels to local communities, including schools, local government, entrepreneurs, and universities.

    We plan to engage in this same “community-based” model as we expand to other parts of the world going forward.”

    https://www.leolabs.space


  • 16 Oct 2019 1:32 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Dunedin, New Zealand (October 15, 2019) - Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s largest grass-fed lamb, beef, and venison producer, has entered the U.S. retail market this week having launched in 14 Fairway Market stores across the Tri-State region.

    Silver Fern Farms’ grass-fed and pasture-raised products have been available to restaurants, specialty butcher shops and industry professionals through long standing specialty foodservice distributor North American Meats and More, a division of Marx Companies. Silver Fern Farms’ new Fairway Market partnership marks the first time U.S. consumers will have access to the brand’s retail packs and be able to taste the flavorful cuts at their local store.

    “New York City is one of the great food capitals of the world and we are excited to provide New Yorkers with delicious eating experiences in the comfort of their own homes,” said Nicola Johnston, Silver Fern Farms’ Group Marketing Manager. “Our products have been available in local butchers and restaurants in NYC for several years, and after listening to positive feedback from consumers we are confident that New York City has an appetite for our 100% grass-fed New Zealand products.”

    With its 100% standard program, Silver Fern Farms’ farmers go above and beyond the already world-leading New Zealand industry standard to produce meat that is 100% grass-fed, 100% pasture-raised, with no antibiotics ever, no added hormones ever, and no feedlots at any time in their life.

    Silver Fern Farms takes the highest level of care to guarantee the integrity of their products and supply chain, and has partnered with Oritain, and uses their Scientific Traceability system to verify the origin of their red meat.

    As part of its 100% standard promise, Silver Fern Farms retail products will soon feature a QR code-enabled on-pack product traceability system that will give consumers the ability to trace where the meat comes from and the quality of its environment.

    New Zealand’s pasture-based farming system is a forerunner in environmental sustainability and was rated first equal for animal welfare standards by the Animal Protection Index, one of four countries in the world to receive the top grade.  Silver Fern Farms is leading the country’s efforts to meet sustainable targets for its processing sites, removing 23.8 tons of plastic from its supply chain in 2017, and aiming to reduce water use and wastewater by 10% (2020) and greenhouse gas emissions by 30% (2030). So far, the company has already implemented a number of initiatives to address climate change and reduce its impact on the environment.

    Products that will be available in Fairway Market stores will include:

    • Beef: Premium Ground
    • Lamb: Medallions, Steaks, Premium Ground
    • Venison: Medallions, Premium Ground

    Silver Fern Farms has plans to expand its range with more products to come in the new year.

    ABOUT SILVER FERN FARMS: Silver Fern Farms is New Zealand’s largest grass-fed lamb, beef and venison producer, supplying the Tri-State area [NY, NJ, CT] from the rolling pastures in New Zealand and striving to set the world standard in red meat. Starting as a small farm cooperative in 1948, Silver Fern Farms has been built by passionate and skilled people and has become the world’s benchmark for red meat, bringing the finest grass-fed and naturally raised meat from New Zealand pastures to your table. From its farmers, graders and butchers, to any one of us in our own kitchens, Silver Fern Farms understands that the ability to make delicious is in the way they approach their product, from start to finish. The company was rated in the top 20 companies on the Colmar Bruntons Corporate Reputation Index 2019 for the second year, as one of only two food brands. It produces 30% of all New Zealand lamb, beef and venison in partnership with 16,000 farmers, and exports to over 60 countries.

    https://www.silverfernfarms.com
  • 15 Oct 2019 4:15 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    Airline update 

    LATAM currently operates popular daily flights from Sydney via Auckland to Santiago, however from 27 October three of the flights each week will overfly Auckland to provide the airline a non-stop Sydney to Santiago service.  The rationale is that together with One World partner Qantas they secure one-stop services between SE Asia and South America through the Qantas hub in Sydney.  This LATAM flight is very popular with our business traveller clients and now with only 4 flights each week from Auckland it is critical that you plan and book much earlier than in the past. Clients will often use this flight when combining business in North and South America due to the very good LATAM airfares available on that circuit. 

    • Fiji Airways has achieved the 4-Star SkyTrax rating putting them alongside neighbours Qantas and Air New Zealand. This rating is quite an achievement for this small regional airline to have gained. SkyTrax ratings are the most authoritative benchmark for airlines and allows us to assess an airline as to its suitability, service standard and safety ratings.  Fiji Airways operates beyond Nadi to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airline also receives two new Airbus A350 aircraft next month, an aircraft which has gained popularity for its cabin spaciousness, noting that the A350 has a slightly wider and taller cabin that the 787 Dreamliner.  
    It can cause travellers a lot of angst, but demystifying lounge access rules between partners United Airlines (UA) and Air New Zealand (NZ) once you hit the US comes with some explaining and multiple scenarios are possible!  Here’s some facts related to the most common scenarios:  
    • Fundamental to everything is the fact that United Club’s are largely based upon a membership programme and not the class of travel you fly  
    • If flying stand-alone Domestic First/Business Class within the US, no US domestic lounge access, unless you join United Club (some locations offer single entry access for US$59) 
    • If flying NZ flight numbers to the US and transitting onto domestic First/Business on United metal (on a UA or NZ flight number), no US domestic lounge access 
    • If flying UA flight numbers to the US and transitting onto domestic First/ Business, lounge access is available  
    • If you are a Star Alliance Gold Frequent Flyer, lounge access is possible irrespective of your class of travel and whether you are in transit or taking a stand alone flight  

    For your next staff Quiz Night these are the world’s top 10 busiest routes by departing aircraft. Having the world’s busiest airports, you’d expect US city pairs to be the busiest, but this is not the case. The information is compiled by CAPA (Centre for Aviation): 

    1. Jeju to Seoul (684 weekly aircraft departures)
    2. Sydney to Melbourne (552)
    3. Delhi to Mumbai (428)
    4. Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi (421)
    5. Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo
    6. Fukuoka to Tokyo
    7. Bogota to Medellin
    8. Jeddah to Ryadh
    9. Sydney to Brisbane 
    10. Los Angeles to San Francisco 

    Hotels

    California has banned hotels from giving guests small, plastic shampoo and soap bottles. A new law banning hotels from providing guests with small plastic bottles containing shampoo, conditioner or soap means that hotels would have to install reusable dispensers or use glass instead. The ban will apply to the more than 515,000 hotel rooms in California. The new law takes effect in 2023 for hotels with more than 50 rooms and 2024 for hotels with less than 50 rooms. 

    Travel better! At ATPI New Zealand we’re a member of the prestigious US-based Virtuoso, an invited group of the world’s leading travel agents and where we can achieve benefits over and above any other travel agent or booking site for our clients. For a similar level as any advertised rate included on the hotel site, Bookings.com or Expedia you’ll receive:

    • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
    • Daily Breakfast for two 
    • Food & Beverage or Spa services credit usually around US$100 
    • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
    • Complimentary Wi-Fi
    • Often some other kind of personalised in-room amenity
    • Take a look at www.virtuoso.com or call one of our BWT Travel Advisors

    Take a stopover on your way back from your heavily scheduled week of business with a layover near San Francisco in wine country! And when wine country beckons, Carneros Resort and Spa is the answer. This uniquely styled retreat is one of our Virtuoso partner hotels and has 94 individual guest cottages and suites, three full-service restaurants including renowned ‘Farm’ and a top-rated spa. The cottages themselves are heaven-sent, with cozy fireplaces, spacious patios with teak furnishings, and private outdoor spaces. Spend an afternoon at the inspired spa; treatments are based on local flavours, from rosemary and olive to quince and honey. Take to bikes for a ride through the vineyards. Then cap off a memorable day with a dinner of fresh local ingredients at FARM. We have a special offer for Amcham Members giving a 4th night free which is in addition to the usual Virtuoso amenities   – ask one of our team! 

    It's kick-off time in London.  Some of America’s top NFL teams return to London this month for four games, a couple of which are at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside the USA. On 13 October the Carolina Panthers played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wembley Stadium hosts the final two games, with the Los Angeles Rams hosting Cincinnati Bengals on 27 October, and the Houston Texans playing the Jacksonville Jaguars on 3 November.

    In line with California removing plastic bottles from hotels, our international travellers will also notice a change to our travel documents. Gone are the less fashionable plastic ticket wallets (never single use we’re assured!) and we’ve developed an ATPI cardboard ticket wallet. We look forward to your feedback on the new ticket wallets. Actually our timing with California is only coincidental! 

    Reminder: Your international visitors to New Zealand may require an electronic travel authorisation to land in New Zealand NZeTA. There is essentially two parts to this – the basic electronic visa required for relevant nationals and the IVL – International Visitor Levey – which is the NZ$35 payable for us to build smarter facilities in National Parks (hopefully potentially more than that!). Have your visiting colleagues look at https://nzeta.immigration.govt.nz/.  As with the US ESTA site it’s likely that many copycat sites will show up and charge more than is necessary. The best source is our website noted below – refer to the Traveller Resources section for the correct websites. 

    ATPI New Zealand     NZ wide: 0800 508 580  

    www.atpi.co.nz



  • 08 Oct 2019 11:21 AM | Rebecca Caroe

    NZX-listed Manuka honey exporter, Comvita (NZX:CVT), has achieved the official Non-GMO Project seal of approval for its UMF™ Manuka honey range sold in the USA and Canada.

    The company’s UMF™ 5+, 10+, 15+ and 20+ Manuka honey, which is available across North America via large, well-known retailers such as Costco and Vitamin Shoppe as well as online, now features the impartial third-party’s seal of approval front-of-pack.

    Comvita Head of Category, Shane Bloor, says with increased awareness about GMOs across North America, and more in-market shoppers paying attention to labels, displaying the Non-GMO verification on-pack gives American shoppers another reason to choose Comvita.

    “This verification, while not available in other markets, is really important to American and Canadian consumers. It offers an additional level of assurance of the quality and purity of Comvita Manuka honey, and that our products are true-to-label."

    Read more
  • 04 Oct 2019 11:10 AM | Rebecca Caroe

    Christchurch-based exporter Garra International will merge with global trading company KIT International creating a joint venture, with a combined turnover in excess of NZ$350 million taking New Zealand and international primary produce to the world.

    Garra founder Ali Mossalem said today that combining their resources and product ranges will strengthen both companies as they have complementary markets, products and customers.

    “For example,” Mossalem said, “Garra does not trade in chicken meat, but KIT does. So, for our established customers in the Middle East, the ability to add chicken to our range is likely to grow our market share in that region. Similarly, Garra’s access to some of the best red meats and other primary produce that New Zealand and Australia have to offer will augment KIT’s product range.”

    Mossalem founded Garra in Christchurch 25 years ago. It specialises in marketing and exporting high quality red meat, offal, dairy, vegetables and seafood – sourced from trusted suppliers throughout the world – to markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and North America.

    KIT International was founded in the United States in 2011 and sells around 65,000 tonnes of primary produce annually throughout the world. The company promotes its trading role as an important link between the animal protein production sector and the international consumer market.

    The joint venture will combine 85 current staff and necessitate new hires in Christchurch and other global offices.

    Read more

  • 02 Oct 2019 6:16 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    A Kiwi-made app which uses augmented reality (AR) to help retailers and restaurateurs visualise in-store elements before implementing them has been acquired by an American company.

    Staccar, created by Christchurch-based software developer, Smudge, makes it easy to accurately visualise and customise in-store merchandising elements — such as drinks fridges, display units, signage and more — by virtually placing them in-situ on phone and tablet screens.

    The product dramatically improves the sell-in process for field sales reps, execution managers and visual merchandisers by helping them show and share in-store solutions with customers before they commit.

    "Gone are the days of having to imagine what new elements might look like in a retail space. Now, retailers can see it for themselves in a totally immersive and realistic way,” Reuben Bijl, Managing Director of Smudge, says.

    “Augmented reality offers tremendous potential to help businesses make better decisions, and Staccar is a perfect example of that.”

    “Beyond live visualisation, AR can be used for education, entertainment, communication and collaboration, among many other things.

    “The possibilities are endless and this is the kind of work we love doing — to help businesses around the world solve problems using technology. By building better tools in the virtual world, we can help them make better decisions in the real world.”

    Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, InContext Solutions buys the underlying technology for Staccar, as well as related apps and services.

    Read More




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