First deal under new Korea trade agreement

WashBar, a pet care business, is the first to take advantage of the new free trade agreement with South Korea. Photo / WashBar

Whangarei-based pet care business, WashBar, said it was the first New Zealand company to take advantage of the new free trade agreement between South Korea and New Zealand.

The agreement came into effect overnight on Sunday, and WashBar was first off the mark on Monday morning organising the paperwork for an export order to their distributors in Seoul.

WashBar began exporting to South Korea in late 2014.

Managing director and founder, Jules Smith, said the company's distribution partner would use the funds freed up by the deal to help promote the brand. Smith said the WashBar range was aimed at consumers wanting an alternative to chemical-heavy products.

"The removal of tariffs is an added bonus - it makes us a little more attractive in a market dominated by US brands," she said in a statement.