Marketnewzealand.Com Reels In Export Deals

Marketnewzealand.Com Reels In Export Deals

Auckland, 16 May, 2003 -- Auckland food and beverage exporter Arex International (NZ) Ltd is hooking significant export deals to Asia via export web site MarketNewZealand.com, just months after the official launch of the Trade New Zealand initiative.

The small family business has secured an ongoing monthly order to supply Hoki fish fillets to a Malaysian distributor, a deal worth more than $20,000 a year, simply by responding to a request made through MarketNewZealand.com’s online trade enquiry system.

The first months’ supply in October last year for 200 kg of Hoki, worth $1800, was followed by an order in December from another Malaysian distributor via MarketNewZealand.com, for $15,000 worth of goats’ milk tablets.

Arex International supplies many importers and distributors throughout Asia with a range of products including meat, seafood, dairy products and grocery lines. The company specialises in supplying to the airline catering business.

Its presence on MarketNewZealand.com brings it at least one fresh and qualified lead per week. As a result of its latest lead, the company is negotiating with a Singaporean distributor to supply jam and honey.

MarketNewZealand.com was developed by Trade New Zealand to open the channels for New Zealand exporters to connect online with world markets. Using the site’s trade enquiry system, overseas buyers enter an enquiry for Trade New Zealand staff to validate and then match with appropriate, quality-screened New Zealand exporters profiled on the site.

Arex’s managing director George Margetts says MarketNewZealand.com has created new exporting opportunities for the company that would not have been available to them before they were profiled on the web site.

“Our arrangement with MarketNewZealand.com works really well. Trade New Zealand staff have taken the time to understand our business, so they know the overseas orders that would suit us best.

“When we are sent a trade enquiry from Trade New Zealand, all we have to do is log on to the system to see all the information we need about the enquiry in order to make an informed decision. It’s extremely easy and efficient, and we are able to respond to enquiries within 24 hours,” Mr Margetts says.

Trade New Zealand’s Food and Beverage team leader Leone Evans says MarketNewZealand.com has given exporters in the food and beverage sector a fast and efficient way of answering trade enquiries, particularly given the quick response needed in an industry involving perishable foods.

“We have had an extremely positive response from food and beverage exporters who have used MarketNewZealand.com. The web site gives exporters a credible web presence that they may not have had before, and they know the enquiries they receive will be genuine and feasible to fulfill due to buyers’ credentials being first checked out by Trade New Zealand,” Ms Evans says.

Malaysia is a significant market for New Zealand food and beverage exporters. Total non-dairy food and beverage exports to Malaysia were valued at NZ$125 million in 2002, accounting for 21 % of total New Zealand exports.

Trade New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner in Malaysia, Jeff Sheppard, says the Trade New Zealand Kuala Lumpur office has processed more than 50 trade enquiries through MarketNewZealand.com since its inception in November last year – with almost 90 % of enquiries from companies looking to purchase food and beverage products.

“New Zealand has advantages in the market by being able to provide counter-seasonal produce and quality products with a clean, green reputation, and by being in close proximity to Malaysia,” Mr Sheppard says.

Medium to large-sized Malaysian companies are mostly familiar with the Internet as a channel to connect with overseas markets, he says, however smaller family-owned businesses are less likely to use the web to search out overseas products.

“Trade New Zealand Kuala Lumpur is helping this latter group of buyers to use MarketMewZealand.com by guiding them through the enquiry form or often completing it on their behalf in consultation with them. For the buyers more confident with online trading, we can help by responding to specific questions and providing clarification on the process,” Mr Sheppard says.

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