KEY POINTS:
New Zealand businesses are getting left behind when it comes to opportunities from Chinese expansion, according to the latest Grant Thornton International Business Report.
The survey focussed on firms employing no more than 80 people and interviewed 7200 businesses in 32 countries during December, including 150 in New Zealand.
Accounting and business advisory firm Grant Thornton said in relation to Chinese expansion 20 per cent of respondents had increased business, down from 22 per cent the previous year, while 27 per cent reported a decline, up from 14 per cent.
Spokesman Peter Sherwin said businesses didn't seem to be seizing on growth opportunities in Brazil, Russia and particularly India and China.
"The message that I'm seeing is that we are not ... seeing any appreciable growth in the export area from last year and that's surprising given the opportunities that there are in those particular countries."
North America and Europe appeared to be doing better, particularly in China, Sherwin said.
Language barriers, the lure of a larger Australian market and tackling relationships already formed by companies from other countries were all challenges local firms faced in China.
Only 10 per cent of respondents said they had increased business in India, 9 per cent had decreased and 80 per cent reported no impact.
"Admittedly, New Zealand is a small country, but in an export sense it is not as if we haven't been knocking on doors in China before this," Sherwin said. "Given that we have been hearing the messages about China for more than a decade, we ... should have more positives."
Chinese check
Germany: 35 per cent of respondents had increased business relating to Chinese expansion.
Spain: 30 per cent
United States: 30 per cent
Australia: 26 per cent
New Zealand: 20 per cent
