The Taiwan New Zealand and New Zealand Taiwan Business Councils have held their first joint meeting since COVID.
The meeting was held in Taipei on 14 September 2023 and the delegation has now returned to New Zealand. The meeting coincided with the 10th anniversary of the signing of the New Zealand Taiwan FTA (ANZTEC).
The ANZTEC Agreement has been very successful for both Taiwan and New Zealand. The meeting was preceded by a seminar* organised by CIER and BERL and both institutes provided separate studies on the Agreement. Senior Officials and private sector representatives also reviewed the Agreement and talked about the future.
The ANZTEC Agreement was the first FTA to contain a chapter on Indigenous Cooperation. It was therefore pleasing that there was such a strong indigenous component to the Business Council meeting. Sessions were held on ESC in Food and Beverage; Geothermal Energy; Indigenous Economies; Cooperation in the Green Finance Sector and on Manufacturing Sector.
Following the Conference a dinner was held showcasing New Zealand produce.
A business day showcasing New Zealand companies was also held and The New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei also hosted a gala lunch to celebrate 10 years of the ANZTEC Agreement. A keynote speech to this event was given by NZ-Taiwan Business Council member Wayne Mulligan.
“Taiwan is now one of New Zealand’s major economic partners. Trade in goods has grown enormously over the first 10 years of the ANZTEC Agreement. It would be good to see this growth matched by services and investment over the next 10 years” said NZ Taiwan Business Council Chair Charles Finny. “Education and Tourism offer particularly exciting opportunities for growth”.
“It was fantastic to be able to travel to Taiwan with such a large New Zealand delegation and for this to be matched by such an impressive delegation on the Taiwan side. This reflects the vibrancy of the relationship” Charles Finny concluded.
Simon Arcus, Chief Executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, added:
“We are delighted to have provided the operational support for the trade delegation and it was a privilege to be part of it. Taiwanese and New Zealand businesses have huge potential to expand their connections for mutual benefit.
“I especially acknowledge the work on ANZTEC so capably led by Charles Finny. A decade on, this work has brought tangible benefits to the New Zealand economy. Charles was very clear there is high potential for an even better decade ahead for reciprocal trade.”
New Zealand will host the next Joint Meeting in 2024.
* A summary of the seminar can be found here.
