Calendar of Events
• “World Games”, Kaohsiung, 16-26 July – including more than 40 competitors from New Zealand, plus a pavilion at the “World Games Plaza” featuring information on New Zealand tourism and New Zealand products, as well as tastings organised by Zespri Ltd.
• BioBusiness Asia Conference, 21-22 July, Taipei (in association with “Bio Taiwan” trade exhibition, 23-26 July) – including feature session on investment opportunities in New Zealand biotech sector and New Zealand biotech industry representation at associated bio industry event.
• 2009 Summer “Deaflympics”, 5-15 September, Taipei – including a team of around 20 competitors from New Zealand.
• Annual business and trade discussions - to be held in New Zealand in September (dates tbc).
• ANZCham “Export Awards” – annual award dinner to be held on 16 October. The awards celebrate business excellence on the part of companies engaged in expanding trade between New Zealand and Taiwan (and Australia and Taiwan) over the past year.
Recent News
Tariff Reductions on Dairy Products ExtendedOn 26 May a decision was announced to extend Taiwan's unilateral reduction of tariffs on milk powder products for a further six months to November 2009. The tariffs for infant milk powder will continue to be halved - to 2.5% - but those for bulk milk powders and other prepared powder products will be reduced by only 25% (to tariff levels of 7.5% and 9% respectively). These reduced tariff rates will apply to 15 November. As a result of an earlier decision to extend Taiwan’s other temporary dairy tariff reductions – those on butter (reduced by half, to 2.5%) and anhydrous milk fat (also halved, to 4%) - these lower tariffs will also continue to apply until 18 August. New Zealand exporters are the main suppliers of both milk powder and butter to Taiwan.
Visit by Director-General, Ministry of Agriculture and ForestryDirector General Murray Sherwin, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), visited Taiwan, 1-2 June. His programme included meetings with leading food importers and processors, as well as discussions with key agriculture, trade and economic policy-makers and analysts. During his visit, Mr Sherwin was able to convey the importance New Zealand exporters attach to the business relationship with their Taiwanese counterparts, as well as the emphasis the New Zealand industry puts on provision of safe and healthy product - as part of an efficient, dynamic and innovative agricultural industry. In his discussions with prominent food importers and processors, a key message that came through was the fit these Taiwanese business leaders saw between New Zealand’s “clean, green and healthy” image and their own market positioning aimed at promotion of safe and healthy food. Mr Sherwin also spoke to Taiwanese and New Zealand business at an Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce lunch on “Positioning for Post Recession Growth”.
Visit by Special Agricultural Trade EnvoySpecial Agricultural Trade Envoy, farming leader Alistair Polson, visited Taiwan, 14-15 May, to promote dialogue with agricultural and food industry leaders and policy-makers. During his visit, Mr Polson met with a range of agriculture industry stakeholders including farmers, farmers’ organisations, academics, policy makers, food processors, importers, and New Zealand business. Mr Polson also gave two seminars (in Taipei and Tainan) explaining New Zealand’s experience of agricultural reform and providing an up-to-date picture of New Zealand’s modern agricultural sector, with its emphasis on product innovation, industry development, efficiency and food safety. Mr Polson also had the opportunity to visit one of Taiwan’s leading orchid production facilities and to talk with farming industry groups about potential for co-operation, including in areas such as agricultural training.
Decision to Establish a Taiwan Food and Drug AgencyTaiwan has announced plans to establish a Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) within the next year. This new agency will supersede the Bureau of Food Safety (currently housed within the Department of Health). The new organisation will be responsible for regulating food safety. Included under its control will be regulation of food and beverage businesses, border controls, setting pesticide residue limits and testing. Currently imported goods are inspected by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI). With the establishment of a TFDA, these responsibilities will transfer to this new agency, which is reportedly intended to strengthen control, speed up customs procedures and enhance consumer safety.
APEC SME Symposium and Visit by APEC Senior Official Chinese Taipei hosted a high level APEC Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Symposium on 8-9 June, followed by a meeting of the APEC SME Working Group, 10-12 June. The SME symposium focussed on the impact of the global financial crisis on SMEs and the issues confronting them, including the question of access to finance. Among the keynote speakers were Ms Cher Wang, Chair, HTC Corp (also recently appointed as a member of the Chinese Taipei APEC Business Advisory Council) and Ms Jill Wu, President, Yaox Edutainment Group. While in Taipei to attend the SME Symposium and Working Group meeting, New Zealand’s APEC Senior Official, Stephen Payton, was able to utilise the opportunity for discussions with economic agencies and business representatives with an interest in APEC issues, including on APEC initiatives in areas such as “ease of doing business” and environmental goods and services, as well as on the broader APEC work on structural reform.
Taiwan Buyers Connected with New Zealand Nutraceutical Companies On 16 June, the New Zealand Trade Development Centre, Taipei organised a nutraceutical industry video-conference which linked ten Taiwanese import company representatives with five New Zealand nutraceutical companies in Christchurch and, subsequently, with another four New Zealand nutraceutical companies in Nelson. This proved to be a very cost-effective way to connect New Zealand companies with Taiwan buyers, with initial feedback suggesting good interest in the New Zealand products showcased.
Cross-Straits Dialogue : Third Round OutcomesThree agreements covering cross-straits financial cooperation, expanding cross-straits direct flights and joint efforts to fight crime were agreed during the third round of cross-straits talks, held in Nanjing, in April. A consensus was also reached to allow the opening up of certain sectors of the Taiwanese economy to Chinese investment (since implemented).
Regarding direct cross-straits flights, agreement was reached on moving to regular flights and to more than double the number of passenger services per week (from an earlier total of 108 flights to 270 flights per week) and similarly for cargo services (increased from 30 to 112 flights per week). Another six airports were also added to those open to cross-straits flights, bringing the total to 27 cities; while two new direct cross-straits air routes were established. In the area of cross-straits financial cooperation, agreement was reached to move ahead with talks on arrangements to cover cross-straits financial supervision and management in the three areas of banking, securities and futures. It has subsequently been announced that the initial areas of the Taiwanese economy to be opened up for Chinese investment will cover around 20-30% of Taiwan’s manufacturing industry (some 64 specific industries), as well as certain areas in the services and infrastructure sector too.
Education Market VisitsThe 2009 education seminars organised by the New Zealand Trade Development Centre and Education New Zealand, 28-31 March, in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung, attracted a good level of participation from New Zealand schools and tertiary institutions. Several of those participating noted that it had been some time since they had visited Taiwan and had recognised a need to re-establish their links in this market. The seminars comprised a dedicated session with education agents in all three centres, together with public sessions in the larger centres of Taipei and Kaohsiung.
Attendance at the seminars in Taipei exceeded expectation, with participating education agents positive about prospects. Representatives from English language schools part of the “English New Zealand” group also visited the market and held workshops for education agents during May. They commented that opportunities to work and study in New Zealand, under the working holiday scheme, were of particular interest to those they met.
New Secondary School Exchange ProgrammeDuring June, information on a new secondary school exchange programme aimed at promoting overseas student exchanges was provided by the Bureau of International and Educational Relations. The new programme (“Secondary School Exchange International” or SSEI for short) is aimed at students aged between 15-18 years and has an in-bound and an out-bound component. The out-bound component includes short term (usually around two week) study tours by secondary school student groups (usually involving 10-20 students); as well as a programme specifically targeting vocational training experience (“skills and internship study tours”) which can be longer (possibly a month or more) depending on the nature of the vocational course and any internship or work experience involved. Opportunities also exist under the programme for short duration secondary school study tours to Taiwan. Further information about the new SSEI programme is available on the dedicated website:
www.exchange.edu.tw.
Creative Industry Connections During March, film industry visits in both directions enabled the exploration of further opportunities for commercial collaboration with Taiwanese companies in the film and digital content creative sector. In early March, a prominent young Taiwanese director visited New Zealand, together with representatives from the production and investment side of the industry, to investigate possibilities to work with New Zealand companies with post-production and special effects expertise on his next feature film production. At the end of March, Film New Zealand’s Director of Projects, Susan Ord, was able to combine a short visit to Taipei, with attendance at the Hong Kong Filmart, to build further links with industry players keen to develop closer collaboration with New Zealand.
New Zealand Food and Wine PromotionOn 18 June New Zealand Trade Development Centre, Taipei hosted a media event featuring cooking demonstrations by New Zealand chef Mark Sycamore (Executive Chef, Blanket Bay Resort Lodge), alongside well-known Taiwanese Chef A-Ki, both using New Zealand rack of lamb. The following day Mark Sycamore held a workshop with 35 executive chefs and purchasing managers from Taiwan’s high-end hotels and restaurants where he demonstrated the use of New Zealand foods and provided a feast of dishes for sampling. Both events were strongly supported by importers and distributors of New Zealand food and wine. Bistro Le Jardin (the venue for the chef workshop event) is now featuring a New Zealand menu for the period to July 20 2009, using Mark Sycamore's specially created recipes, together with a range of New Zealand wines.
First Asia : New Zealand Business Interns ArriveThe first two New Zealanders to take up business internships in Taiwan under the recently launched Asia : New Zealand Foundation Business Internships programme, arrived in May and June respectively. They will be based at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in the Hsinchu Science Park, working in the areas of international business and energy and environment. This internship opportunity with ITRI complements other research and commercial collaboration initiatives that have been developed with ITRI (Taiwan’s leading industrial research institute) over the past year, including links with Industrial Research Ltd and Auckland University’s UniServices.
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