02 November 2007
Trade Poised To Boom With Canada
With the launch of Air New Zealand’s inaugural non-stop flights today between Auckland and Vancouver, the Canada New
Zealand Business Association anticipate that trade between the two countries will “TAKE OFF” as some of the barriers to
moving goods by air will be eliminated.
The Association says the new service is the biggest and most beneficial boost to trade with Canada that the market has
experienced for a long time and will aid both exporters and importers alike to move air cargo more freely.
Up until now it has been necessary to ship air cargo between New Zealand and Canada via a 3rd country which has involved
barriers and certain restrictions on some types of shipments. There have also been additional costs for shippers to
absorb at transit points as well as the potential for shipments to be delayed.
The new non-stop Air New Zealand services will allow shippers to bypass those problems and provide a much improved “door
to door” service. Passengers travelling between the two countries will also benefit through not having to transit via
another country, thereby also eliminating the need for additional immigration, customs and security checks.
Canada is New Zealand’s 12th largest export destination and 14th largest trading partner in the year ended December 2006
with exports of NZ$553 million.
ENDS