Dynamic Business: NZ in the box seat in 2023

Damien O'Connor. Photo / Supplied

The Covid-19 pandemic put paid to New Zealand’s plans to host the Apec Leaders’ meeting in 2021. It was successfully held virtually with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the chair.

But Auckland will finally be on the Asia-Pacific agenda in 2023 — in person — when the Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac) hosts a meeting from February 12-14.

Around 200 participants including senior business leaders and officials from Apec’s 21 economies are expected to attend. It is the first Apec meeting being chaired by the United States in its 2023 host year which will culminate in Apec Leaders’ week in San Francisco from November 12.

Business representatives will be led by Dominic Ng, chairman and CEO of East West Bank. Others include: Michaela Browning, vice-president and head, Government and Public Policy for Asia-Pacific Google based in Australia; Janet De Silva president and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade; Ning Gaoning (Frank) chairman of Sinochem Holdings (China), Hu Houkun deputy chairman, Huawei and Rotating Chairman Huawei Technologies (China) and Wong Wai Meng, chairman SGTech (Singapore).

New Zealand will be represented by Anna Curzon, chief product officer at Xero; Malcolm Johns, incoming CEO for Genesis Energy and Rachel Taulelei Co-Founder of Oho branding agency.

Apec (Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation) is the region’s leading inter-governmental forum for economic co-operation. Twenty-one economies from the Asia Pacific region are members, representing more than 70 per cent of NZ exports. Apec leaders meet annually to free up trade and investment, promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth, build the foundations for the digital economy and set the economic direction for the region.

Apec senior officials will meet in Auckland at the same time, ensuring the event will be a unique meeting point for government and business. The Abac agenda will focus on economic integration, sustainability and climate change and the digital economy, against the background of a difficult environment for the global economy and trade.

The NZIBF’s Stephen Jacobi, an alternate New Zealand Abac member, says the event takes on particular importance after three years of Covid disruption and at a time when New Zealand is actively seeking to develop further the economic relationship with the United States and other Asia Pacific economies.

“Recent economic times have been hard for many, and particularly so for business,” says Jacobi. “This event will assist in helping chart a course out of current difficulties.”

NZ to chair CPTPP commission

Trade Minister Damien O’Connor says New Zealand will take over as chair of the CPTPP from Singapore in 2023.

“This will provide an opportunity to further highlight our progressive approach to international trade as set out in our Trade for All agenda, as well as our commitment to open, trade and regional economic architecture,” says O’Connor. “Continuing to build on our export growth is a key part of the Government’s economic plan. Our two-way trade with the CPTPP bloc accounts for 27 per cent of our total trade, and growing this further will better secure the economic future of all New Zealanders.

“It is the world’s premier open, multi-party free trade agreement, signed by 11 economies, which represent over 13 per cent of the world’s GDP. Around $20 billion a year of our exports go to CPTPP partners.”