To qualify for a spot at the weekend event, students must be members of YES, which sees them create and run a new business for a year.
Terry Shubkin, chief executive of YES, said the event was a great opportunity for students to put the business skills they had learned from the programme to the test in "a real pressure cooker environment".
"We've had tremendous support from the business community who see this weekend event as a way of nurturing the future business minds of tomorrow."
Kim Garner, managing director of main sponsor FedEx Australasia, said New Zealand had a history of producing entrepreneurs who created successful global brands and the trade challenge aimed to support that tradition.
"As budding entrepreneurs, these students need to develop a global mind-set and understand the economic, social and cultural complexities of different countries to be successful on the global stage," she said.
Economic Development Minister will open the event, which culminates in a judging panel of business leaders and past winners choosing six winning students.
Before heading to Hong Kong in August, the six take part in a two-day training workshop to hone their skills for the Asia-Pacific regional final.
Since 2007, more than 240 students from schools throughout New Zealand have taken part in the FedEx trade challenge.