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More Hawke’s Bay products may be bound for Taiwan after local producers and exporters met with a delegation of Taiwanese business people at the new Hawke’s Bay Business Hub recently (16 April).

ExportNZ hosted the event that allowed members of the Taipei importer / exporter association to talk directly with Hawke’s Bay businesses as part of a week-long nationwide road show. 

Dean Prebble, originally from Taradale, and now Trade Commissioner based in Taiwan, has been touring with the group of seven from Taipei.  He says the delegation had been excited by the many opportunities for sourcing new products from this region and around the country.

Charles Finny, lead negotiator for the Agreement between New Zealand and Taiwan (ANZTEC) spoke to the gathering that included ExportNZ members and others from the various business support services based at the Business Hub.

A board member of New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Mr Finney described ANZTEC as one of the best economic co-operation agreements available to New Zealand that gave this country’s exporters a key competitive advantage in the important affluent Asian market that he compared to Australia in size and discretionary spend power.

Mr Finny explained that the agreement was particularly beneficial to Hawke’s Bay as most of the region’s export produce were free of tariffs or would soon be.  He encouraged the producers and exporters present to embrace the opportunities that the sophisticated Taiwanese market offered, citing the demand for high quality, safe food was strong and growing.

Andrew Hiscock from ABB Napier also addressed the meeting giving insights into his experience of doing business in Taiwan.

The event was one of the first to be held at the Hawke’s Bay Business Hub, a co-location of business support services in Ahuriri that will be officially opened in May. 

According to ExportNZ’s Hawke’s Bay executive officer, Amanda Liddle, the Business Hub space proved extremely effective as a networking and presentation venue.  “It was great to be able to show it off to our members.”

The front desk captured the attention of the local and Taiwanese guests.  It is an old ship’s boiler that has been reworked by Napier Engineering to serve as a station for the Business Hub concierge.

The boiler is believed to have been from a Richardson Shipping Co ship and was rescued from outside Shed 5 on the quay at Ahuriri.  Richardsons was the largest costal shipping firm based at the Port between 1875 and 1978.  Its office was located adjacent to the new Business Hub, and that building incorporates the name Richardson on the Mahia street frontage.

For more information, contact Amanda Liddle, Export NZ 027 705 4668

Dean Prebble (right) Trade Commissioner for Taiwan points out the unique reception desk at the Hawke’s Bay Business Hub to members of the Taiwanese trade delegation from left, Ms Mey Jiao Lin, Dr Dennis Hu, Ms Shu Min Yang, Ms Dora Wang, Johnny Lin.  Right rear is David Purdue from NZTE.