Farmers are being cautioned to prepare contingency plans amid early signs of a large El Nino climate event this year.

New Zealand's exports to China are increasing exponentially. In the three years prior to signing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2008 our exports increased on average by a little under 4 per cent.

Infant formula companies are shocked after learning the details of new regulations they will face from next month when selling product in China.

The FMA is investigating whether the sales and marketing of interest rate swaps by major banks to rural customers may have breached the laws.

The proposed codeshare between Air NZ and Singapore Airlines has been given the all clear from Competition Commission Singapore.

As New Zealand prepares for the Easter break, we thought it was a good time for some chocolate trade statistics.

Turners & Growers, has agreed to buy Hawke's Bay-based Apollo Apples for as much as $44.1 million as it looks to meet growing global demand.

The Ports of Auckland said it had handled a record number of containers in March, beating the previous record set last October.

New Zealand's milk production growth is likely to be constrained over the next five years as the ability to change land use will become more difficult and expensive.

The Middle East remains an untapped business opportunity for exporters as their focus is dominated by booming Asian markets such as China.

Even our most successful exporters pay a price for the dollar's overvaluation - ask our dairy farmers, writes Bryan Gould. Export profits are lower than they would be if the dollar was at a more competitive level.

A substantially lower payout from Fonterra for 2014/15 looks likely after international dairy prices dropped sharply at yesterday's international dairy auction, economists said.

World prices for a basket of New Zealand's export commodities flattened out last month as declining prices for dairy products offset widespread gains elsewhere.

Prices have plunged nearly 9 per cent in the latest overnight global dairy auction. It is the fourth consecutive fall in prices, with average prices falling 5.2 per cent on March 18.

Fonterra's farmer members will be offered two opportunities to lock in the price paid for a percentage of their milk in the 2014/15 season.

The European Union's agreement to pursue a free trade pact with this country represents a significant step forward.

John Key says the EU has agreed to consider a free trade deal with New Zealand.

An award-winning superyacht exporter has been forced to axe more than 70 jobs and is blaming the Government for failing to take action against the strong NZ dollar.

It is unfortunate that some Government sloppiness about business relationships has clouded the coverage of John Key's trip to China, writes Liam Dann.

Editorial: A recurring worry about this country's economic wellbeing is the potential for it to be rapidly undone by a change of heart in Beijing.

John Key's visit to China has been well covered by the NZ press, but his presence has also made a splash in the Chinese media, with his visit labelled as 'pioneering'.

NZ and China have increased the goal for two-way trade to reach $30 billion by 2020 at a meeting between PM John Key and China's President Xi Jinping last night.

Chinese consumers regard NZ milk products as less safe than those produced in our key dairy competitors like the US and Europe, Massey University research suggests.

Prime Minister John Key has made it clear in Chinese media that New Zealand knows it is on notice over food safety, saying there was now "no room for error."