Waikato Business News July/August 2019

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- 12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2019 EU free trade talks close in on tougher issues By RICHARD WALKER A New Zealand free trade agreement with the European Union by the end of the year looks unlikely as the EU grapples with Brexit and other issues. With the fifth round of talks just concluded in Brussels, senior MFAT official Michelle Slade told a room of Waikato exporters that the tougher issues are starting to come to the fore. That is set to include the thorny issue of geographical indications, though the Treaty of Waitangi exception to safeguard the interests of Māori - often dealt with towards the end of other negotiations - has been agreed up front. Along with Brexit, the EU has been preoccupied with finishing a deal with the Mercatur group of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as going into a change of administration, Slade said at the event organised in July by the Waikato branch of ExportNZ. That means concluding an agreement this year as originally planned is looking increasingly unlikely. Slade described the EU as the “big missing link” in New Zealand’s FTA framework, and the numbers suggest the potential benefits are large. The EU is New Zealand’s third largest trading partner after China and Australia, with $23 billion in two way trade in 2018. Minus the UK, two-way trade with continental EU will still be $15 billion a year. When it comes to services trade, the EU is second largest for New Zealand, and in 2018 the EU accounted for more than 14 percent of New Zealand's total trade. The EU agreement, once concluded, will mean around 65 percent of New Zealand’s trade would be covered by preferential and improved free trade agreements, Slade said. She said agricultural market access was an important objective for New Zealand, with a lot of trade currently under quite restricted quota conditions. “That is something we are seeking to address in the negotiations. It is a very sensitive area with the EU; they have long resisted those kinds of more open provisions. “So we're not under any illusions that that area is going to be an easy one, but New Zealand's objective remains seeking comprehensive tariff elimination for goods and seeking ways in which we can address the sensitivities.” One of the trickier areas is set to be around geographical indications, most commonly used for European wines and spirits. “Champagne is a very classic example, where the geographical indication, the quality and reputation of that particular product, is anchored in where the goods come from, and is able to be established as such. “The EU has a very active policy on pursuing protections for its geographical indications.” The system is elaborate and not black and white even for countries within the union. Slade gave feta as an example, with debates about whether Denmark can produce a product called feta or only Greece can. The EU is seeking protection for around 2100 names in its negotiations with New Zealand, most of them for wines. “We already have legislative protection for wine and spirit geographical indications, but in New Zealand we don't extend that GI protection at the moment to food products, and so this is likely to be a very central and challenging part of the negotiations.” Meanwhile, Slade said both the UK and New Zealand had been clear since the Brexit referendum that they would look to negotiate an early and high-quality free trade agreement once Britain is in a position to do so. She said New Zealand had been quick to establish trade policy dialogue with the UK, as one of three priority free trade agreement partners along with Australia and the US. Significant progress has been made on regulatory continuity with similar agreements negotiated to those with the EU, ready to kick in once Britain leaves. There has also been discussion around market access arrangements. Slade described that as a complex area, with New Zealand’s access into Britain governed for the past quarter century by WTO commitments made by the UK as part of the EU. “You may have seen some references in the media to the way that the UK would like to propose to deal Michelle Slade said the EU was the “missing link” in New Zealand’s free trade agreements. with those, post-Brexit, that give rise to very real concerns for our exporters as to diminished quality and quantity of the access.” MFAT has also been seeking to raise awareness of potential practical issues of trade disruption, including issues like large queues at customs checkpoints. “The bulk of these practical issues won't be New Zealand-specific, they will be much more to do with the requirement in a no-deal Brexit situation for each side of the Channel to be doing customs inspections and things that they haven't been doing for 40 years. There's a lot of potential for third parties like New Zealand traders to be caught up in that.” Getting the most from free trade agreements Slade urged exporters in her audience to access the ministry’s tariff finder (https://www. tariff-finder.govt.nz/) in order to maximise benefits from free trade agreements. It gives comparative benefits under different schemes and Slade said it was worth keeping a watch on because in some agreements tariffs are phased over time. She also said to let the ministry know if there were concerns over non-tariff measures. “As tariffs at border have come down, regulatory requirements have become more significant, and we have seen in some instances non-tariff measures have sprung up. “In some cases, particularly onerous labelling requirements or particularly complicated standards or the way they are enforced can be more than you would expect in that circumstance and therefore something we can take up. Let us know.” Complementary is key: local companies partner for beverage showcase After a long and stressful day at work, some may come home and put the jug on, while others might choose to pour themselves a dram and unwind. Whether you find yourself in camp tea or on team whisky, two Waikato businesses have teamed up to demonstrate how the two beverages are more alike than you might think. Zealong Tea Estate’s blend master Amy Reason, together with Ash Parmar from Eight PM, have pooled their expertise and created a one-off tasting menu which pairs select Zealong teas with rare whiskies. While each pairing will be accompanied by a bite-sized “flavour cue”, the menu is unique in that the focus is on two beverages, rather than pairing one beverage with food. Amy explains that pairing the whiskies with the teas is all about identifying the flavour notes in both that will work in harmony with each other. “You don’t want to just match up the same flavours, rather identify flavour notes that complement each other and highlight the different complexities of each.” And with both kinds of beverage boasting aroma and tasting notes spanning from smoky to floral and everything in between, it is not a simple task. Luckily, Amy has 15 years of tea industry experience behind her, and Ash has been in the whisky business for 14 years. The two will share their knowledge during an event for Father’s Day, demonstrating how to taste, smell, and appreciate whisky and tea like a connoisseur, and highlighting the reasons they have chosen each pairing. They will also give insight into how provenance and production methods can allow these different flavours to develop. The featured whiskies are from The Single Cask, an award-winning label which Eight PM is importing into New Zealand for the first time. “This whisky company has an interesting concept — they select just one cask at a time from an independent Scotch distillery and allow it to age before releasing it at cask strength with no additives, so it’s whisky presented to you at its purest form,” Ash says. This results in rare whisky expressions, a perfect match for pure New Zealand-grown tea, which is itself a prize-winning rarity in the tea world. For whisky-lovers or tea-lovers, those who enjoy both or those who are new to either, this upcoming event is the perfect introduction to how the worlds of premium tea and fine whisky intertwine. Father’s Day Whisky & Tea Pairing will be held at Zealong Tea Estate on August 31, 6pm-9pm. Tickets include: • Tasting menu of five Zealong teas and five The Single Cask whiskies, each accompanied by a petite flavour cue • Tea and whisky expertise from the menu designers, guiding you through each pairing • A selection of canapés inspired by the tasting menu A cash bar will be available following the tasting, for those who wish to further indulge in their favourite whisky or tea. Tickets are limited and available now from www.zealong.com/shop (under Vouchers). - Supplied copy -
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2019 13 Chamber sets out blueprint for future Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Simpson is promoting a blueprint called Pro Waikato, charting a path forward until 2030. It includes five “cultures”, with opportunities and actions for each one. They are Business and Community, Information, Rates and Development Contributions, Transport and Best Business Services. The blueprint describes the future as fast changing and dynamic and says: “The real opportunity for the Chambers (on behalf of business) is to make sure that the solutions are in place so Waikato can benefit from the disruption that is rapidly becoming the norm.” Chris Simpson answers 10 questions from Waikato Business News. Why a blueprint now? It’s pretty simple – demand and supply. We are probably going to see a bigger migration by business and people to Waikato when the expressway opens. So, with the Waikato expressway about to open fully and the rapidly changing face of commerce, the most important thing that we can as an advocacy body is to push for what we want. We are 113 years old, and we must show leadership about what we, as business, need. And what we believe local and central government must work towards to deliver the most productive and profitable business community. So, we think the time is now, before the expressway dumps Auckland on our back doorstep. Where are you at with the process? We are currently going out to our members checking with them what they see the next 10 years as delivering. We don’t want to write a blueprint that is esoteric and ambiguous. The blueprint must be exactly that, a blueprint that we will follow to deliver on a prosperous future for all Waikato business people, entrepreneurs and people who have jobs in our industries. Who do you envisage being on the proposed action group to deliver the cultures of purpose? Leaders from the IT, property, logistics and HR world will be key movers on this. Also, capital in the form of banks and venture capitalists – they must be represented. It’s about getting the balance right of place, people, and money. Otherwise if it’s not done in unison, the blueprint will become nothing more than a glorified coffee table magazine. However, it must have a driver that’s based on what’s good for ensuring we can deliver profitable and sustainable business here in Waikato. In Culture 1, you refer to a “reforecasting of councils’ long-term plans to reflect the issues and opportunities facing business in Waikato”. This seems to suggest you think they are not doing that at the moment. What needs to change and how will you work towards that? Yeah, good question. You only have to look at Hamilton and the productivity of the city is going backwards, something like -0.2 percent in 2018. So, no, we don’t think they are at all and it’s important that we in business, in a collective way, point out where things can be done better through planning. Which is why it’s important that we bring the right people to the conversation with councils. In general, there are a lot of areas in the blueprint that involve local government. How do you intend to work with councils to achieve your goals? With about 12 councils that we have to deal with in the area, it is all about working with them. However, we are looking at taking it a step further. We will push a conversation about local body amalgamation. It seems nuts to have so many councils and a regional council for only 500,000 people. There must be a better way, and it’s a better way that we want to tease out through this Blueprint. You refer to pushing for local body amalgamation where appropriate. The government has ruled out local body amalgamation and mayors were not receptive when you raised this a few months ago. Is it a dead duck? This government has ruled it out. But, this government also will listen to the will of the people. So, a proper campaign that is well thought out and shows them where there is opportunity for Waikato is something we must push. And, if this government doesn’t do anything, well, approx. every 1095 days there’s a new general election, so we will get a government in the future to agree with us! After all, with this one we have history on our side. When it comes to Culture 2, you want “proper analysis, analytics and an open source Waikato digital platform to share data with the end user in real time” as an achievement for the first year. That’s a tight timeframe - how will you achieve this? It is a tight timeframe, and it’s a timeframe that needs to be the focus. The best way to deliver on data like this is to work with both central and local government to see where we can work together to pull this data through for us here in Waikato. There are also opportunities to bring our members into providing relevant data which will help them make better investment decisions. Is it pie in the sky? Well, based on what we need for tomorrow re better information and analytics, the question will be how do we do it – and that’s something that must be pushed. Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Simpson. You refer to creating a “G3” Economic Development Zone, between Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga/Bay of Plenty. Who do you envisage being part of this group? And how do you see it being set up? This is where the Chambers of Waikato, Auckland and Tauranga have strength combined. It’s how we leverage our international connections and our membership to the International Chambers of Commerce to bring good ideas and investment to all three of our areas. And, because we aren’t council/government funded, it’s something that we can do in a very nimble and expedient way. Who do you see being involved in a Waikato infrastructure and business committee under Culture 3? And your suggested Waikato infrastructure/rates committee? If that includes councils, how will you encourage their involvement? This one is the key. By infrastructure, we don’t just mean roads, we mean IT. And the people and organisations that will be involved here must be from the logistics and export sector. A keen focus here is on how we can help both drive better productivity in our region, as well as getting practical advice from this committee which we can share and engage with at an international and local level. Either with our members/business, or with government and local government. Do you see the Waikato Municipal Endowment Fund working quite differently from the current Hamilton Endowment Fund? Great question – yes, very much. It’s how we direct local government and their strategic property arms to think about where they will get the best investment return for their bucks. Again, we need the right analytics and people involved to help steer the conversation as to where the best investment should happen. And the current Hamilton endowment fund, well, a lot of that is sitting in a bank account offsetting debt. That’s not what the Act of Parliament says it should be doing. So, we must advocate better investment choices for councils. Phone 07 834 6000 Email lawyers@nwm.co.nz Web www.nwm.co.nz We’re growing and adding expertise to our firm. Meet our newest team members. Geraldine Austin Senior Associate Private Client Robert Davies Associate Commercial Disputes/Employment Damandeep Sadhra Senior Solicitor Family Disputes Tia Faiaoga Solicitor Private Client Hannah Mills Solicitor Private Client Alex Fanning Solicitor Family Disputes Jordyn Coxhead Law Clerk Corporate & Commercial
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Waikato Business News July/August 2019

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