Trade: Home thoughts on abroad

By CHRIS DANIELS

More than $73 million will be spent over the next four years on a range of trade promotion initiatives, but one Hamilton exporter would like attention paid to small business problems somewhat closer to home.

Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton and Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton announced the funding, designed to "open up market access and to get more firms into exporting".

An allocation of $14.2 million over the next four years and $3.2 million a year thereafter will help to pay for negotiations at the World Trade Organisation and the development of bilateral trade agreements and economic partnerships. An extra $1 million a year has been set aside to establish two new "beachhead" offices, designed to help exporters break into new markets.

Also described as "offshore incubators", two of these beachheads have been set up in the past few years, one in Singapore, the other in Fort Lauderdale. Four more are planned including ones in London and California.

Hamilton businessman and exporter Erik Arndt, who owns Aria Farms with his wife Anna, said a greater investment in technology development was needed to help exporters.

Aria Farms developed the idea of meat chips, which are now sold in supermarkets across New Zealand. They also developed mince that can be poured from a packet.

Arndt said the idea of forming "clusters" of similar businesses that could join forces in areas such as shipping was a good one.

Trade New Zealand did a good job, though a phone "hotline" for exporters should be introduced.

It should be staffed by "people with grey hair" who had once made the mistakes others were now making.

Arndt said proposed changes to sick leave and bereavement leave were likely to add between 7 per cent and 11 per cent to the company's costs.

Research and development was important, he said, and Jim Anderton's recent work in the business enterprise area had been great.