KEY POINTS:
New Zealand wine and food was laid on in style yesterday as the Kiwi Chamber celebrated Waitangi Day in Seoul.
The prospect of a free-trade deal with South Korea prompted high-profile New Zealanders to set-up the chamber late last year to support the forthcoming negotiations.
Les Edwards, who is the Kiwi Chamber's inaugural chairman, expects the free-trade agreement (FTA) will be signed off by the end of the year. He points out that unlike the United States - yet to ratify its own bilateral FTA with Korea - there are no major beef or rice issues to upset Korean farmers.
"Obviously we New Zealanders do not need any convincing on the merits and rewards of a KorNZ FTA," said Edwards. "I hope the Korean side will be able to allocate the resources and energy to get it done among their own priorities."
The chamber championed NZ's cause during public hearings on the proposed FTA heard in Seoul last month. The Kiwi Chamber is also promoting New Zealand as an ideal "incubator" for Korean small-to-medium enterprises to develop an international business model before embarking on more challenging markets like the US and EU.
Edwards reckons the FTA will make the environment more conducive to building business opportunities for Korean SMEs in NZ - particularly in IT and film production.
About 10 New Zealand companies are in the Korean market, including kiwifruit exporter Zespri and dairy co-operative Fonterra.
Edwards has lived in Korea for 12 years. As managing partner at marketing communications company Lee DDB, he is well-plugged into the tight Kiwi ex-pat community.
The Chamber has lined up some key sponsors: leading global freight company DHL, Zespri, Korean Air, NZ Trade and Enterprise and Meat & Wool NZ - and is seeking to build its profile with Kiwi firms wanting to do business with Korea. The melamine scandal at Fonterra's China joint-venture has not had a major effect on NZ's reputation.
"New Zealand's reputation for clean, safe, high-quality products will have us well placed when global food prices rise and consumption outpaces supply," said Edwards.
Park Young-in, who chairs the Korea-New Zealand Association - says the business relationship is finally coming of age.
Park used the agricultural marketing knowledge he picked up as a Colombo Plan student in NZ more than 40 years ago to feed into Korea's economic development projects. www.kiwichamber.com
