with the region
p. 42 · Read in the full issue
New Zealand - A Pacific Partner
Opening up trade with the region
Message from Hon Philip Burdon, Minister for Trade Negotiations.
PACIFIC Islands Monthly is a dis tinctive voice on the region and I am pleased to contribute to this supplement on New Zealand.
The Pacific has always been important to New Zealand. Pacific island countries are our closest neighbours and since the sixties many Pacific island people have chosen to make New Zealand their home, thus reinforcing the ethnic links of earlier generations.
Conversely many New Zea landers have benefited from living and working in other South Pacific countries. For many decades now, there have been significant busi ness and trade linkages between New Zealand and our neighbours in the region.
Indeed the South Pacific is now assuming a new economic import ance for New Zealand. New Zea land has undergone fundamental economic change in recent years and our economy, particularly our manufacturing sector, has become
vastly more competitive. Many of our manufacturers are looking to expand their exports and Pacific island countries along with Australia are often the first markets they look to.
It is for this reason that I will be leading a trade mission to the region in May this year. The mission will be made up mostly of representatives from the New Zea land private sector and will visit Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
The purpose of the mission is clear. We will be unashamedly promoting New Zealand as a competitive supplier to the region.
We will be challenging importers in the region to check out the prices and quality of products and services available from New Zea land. We would like PIM readers to get into the habit of looking first to New Zealand to supply, just as our exporters should have the Pacific at the forefront of their minds.