Successful and innovative New Zealand businesses will be honoured in the first annual Amcham – United Airlines Awards, to be announced in July.
The awards, which are supported by the Business Herald, will recognise local firms that excel in importing from, or exporting to, the United States.
Mike Hearn,Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand (Amcham), said the USA is now New Zealand's second largest trading partner. Bilateral trade for the year ended September 1999 totalled more than $7.6 billion.
"As a bilateral trade organisation, in conjunction with the world's largest airline (United Airlines), we will be looking at several categories of awards incorporating importers, as well as exporters of goods and services," Hearn said.
"We will also have an award for companies new to exporting to the USA."
Winners in each of the four main categories will receive return airfares to the United States. Other prizes include market research from Trade New Zealand, export freight service, exhibition space at the New Zealand Trade Centre, and a year's subscription to the New Zealand Herald.
Competition for the awards is open to any business that has traded goods, or provided services, education, intellectual property, royalties, etc., to or from the USA during the year ended 31 March 2000. Entry is free of charge for Amcham members, and costs $50 plus GST for non-members.
