Menu
Log in

Latest News

AmCham shares news updates from member companies - subscribe by RSS, follow our LinkedIn page or become a member to receive notifications. 
<< First  < Prev   1   2   3   4   5   ...   Next >  Last >> 
  • 13 Aug 2025 2:42 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    A Bay of Plenty beverage company continues to make waves across high-end venues in New York City, preparing to launch on Amazon while navigating trade tariffs in the process.

    Demand for the premium non-alcoholic beverage, Wai Mānuka, is rising rapidly and just four months after launching, the company has secured its third order - a full 20-foot container - more than doubling its two previous shipments.

    By the end of August, Wai Mānuka will be stocked in over 100 premium restaurants, cafés, and boutique retailers across the city, with containers now ordered every two to three months.

    “To navigate US tariffs, we have to go big,” chief executive Joe Harawira said.

    Their US distribution partner is covering most of the 15% tariff, a move Harawira said reflected confidence in market-fit and product potential.

    Wai Mānuka is also preparing to launch on Amazon in New York City, giving 10 to 12 million local users the option to have the non-alcoholic elixir delivered directly to their doors.

    “This will give us an opportunity to engage directly with customers, build loyalty, and expand our reach,” Harawira said.

    Interest is also growing from other key states, including Texas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. But for now, the focus remained on building a strong foundation in New York before expanding too quickly.

    Wai Mānuka is seeking investors who bring not only capital but strategic value to help accelerate growth.

    “It’s capital-intensive to grow a brand in the US,” Harawira said.

    “We’re gaining 25 new accounts every month, and the key is consistent sell-through at scale.”

    To reduce landed costs, minimise environmental impact, and navigate tariff hurdles, the company is exploring US-based manufacturing.

    Harawira is working closely with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, his US partners, and other industry leads to assess the opportunity.

    In a further boost, Harawira has been selected to join a New Zealand trade delegation meeting with native American investors and executives, exploring new pathways for indigenous business collaboration.

    He will meet them later this month.

    Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/

  • 12 Aug 2025 5:44 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    There were a number of questions asked during the webinar that we provide answers to below. Some of these were answered during the webinar but we provide answers again below given their broad relevance.

     For more information, please see NZTE’s Talking Tariffs page, MFAT’s FAQs, and if you haven’t already we encourage you to sign up to MFAT’s Market Intelligence reports – see an example here.

    Should you have further questions, please feel free to email us at this address. Alternatively, if you feel like your question is best addressed to NZ Customs their email address is copied.

    Questions and answers below are grouped thematically under the following headings:

    • Tariffs

    • Section 232

    • Exemptions

    • Rules of Origin/Customs/De minimis

    • New Zealand’s approach

    • Miscellaneous

    Click here for Tariff related questions/answers.

    Source: www.mfat.govt.nz 


  • 10 Aug 2025 12:29 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    The American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2025 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation Awards, the 26th year of these awards celebrating success and innovation for companies doing business with the USA.

    AmCham Executive Director, Mike Hearn said that “over the last year trade with the US has continued to grow, with the US becoming New Zealand’s second largest trading partner, however the recently announced 15% tariffs will cost New Zealand exporters round $1.4billion. The effect of these tariffs is still to be felt” 

    “This year’s exporter finalists again come from a more diverse background to previous years, coming for consumer goods, technology and the services sectors”

    The supreme winner also receives an airfare to anywhere in the USA on United Airlines, US$5,000 of advisory services from Sweeney Vesty, introductions to venture capitalists, economic development agencies in the USA as well as to other valuable connections. Over the last twenty-five years our sponsors have provided over $400,000 worth of prizes to our award winners.

    Selina Deadman, Vice President Commercial, DHL Express New Zealand, commented, “It’s our privilege to help deliver the 26th AmCham-DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards for 2025. As an express international logistics provider, DHL observes firsthand the ingenuity and innovation required by local Kiwis competing in the US market. This year’s finalists all demonstrate the continued value in exporting to this market, and we know that a successful landing in the USA can be the catalyst for some of the best business success stories in this country. On behalf of DHL, I’d like to congratulate all our 2025 finalists.”

    This year’s awards and finalists are:

    Exporter of the Year to the USA – Technology
    ADInstruments Ltd
    Lumin
    Windcave NZ Ltd

    Exporter of the Year to the USA – Services
    Crimson Education Ltd

    Pratt & Whitney Air New Zealand Services t/a Christchurch Engine Centre  

    Exporter of the Year to the USA - Consumer Goods
    Calocurb Ltd
    Moxx Int Ltd
    The Better Packaging Co. Ltd

    Investor of the Year to or from the USA
    Axon Enterprise Inc for investment in Auror

    Bridgewest Group
    Motion Capital Management Ltd

    Bilateral Connections with the USA
    Auckland Council
    American Universities International Programs Ltd
    Rob Coneybeer

    Contribution to Tourism with the USA
    International Working Holidays

    Travel USA Ltd

    Social Impact with the USA
    The NZ Robotics Charitable Trust Inc/Kiwibots

    One of the above will be selected as the Supreme winner.

    One other award will be presented on the night:  The AmCham Supporter of the Year

    The awards will be presented at a black-tie gala dinner at the Pullman Hotel Auckland on 18th September for details and tickets see
    www.amcham.co.nz

    The keynote speaker will be The Hon Todd McClay, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Forestry, Minister for Trade and Investment and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs.

    In addition to AmCham, DHL Express, United Airlines, the awards are supported by ANZ Bank; Auckland International Airport; Insprie Labs; Ironside McDonald Intellectual Property; Lockheed Martin New Zealand; and SweeneyVesty. Media sponsor - The Business. Wine sponsor - Constellation Brands. Event Manager and sponsor – Event Revolution.

    Previous winners of the Supreme Award have included Peace Software; Airways Corporation; HumanWare; Tenon; Orion Health; Zeacom; SMI Group; Fonterra; Pratt & Whitney Air New Zealand Services t/a Christchurch Engine Centre; Buckley Systems; Greenshell New Zealand; Vista Entertainment; Fisher & Paykel Healthcare; Douglas Pharmaceuticals, Zespri International; Tourism Holdings; Sir Peter Beck; Seequent Ltd; Oritain Global; Auror Ltd; and Toku Eyes.

  • 10 Aug 2025 11:57 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    New tariffs announced on New Zealand exports
     
    On 31 July (US time) US President Trump signed Executive Order 14326 which raised the additional tariff on much of New Zealand goods exports to the US from 10% previously, to 15% (in addition to the US's standard MFN tariff). See the Fact Sheet here.
     
    The revised tariffs took effect on 7 August, with goods already en route subject to the previous tariff rates, provided they arrive by 4 October (see Sec. 2. Tarff Modifications. (a) of the Executive Order linked above).
     
    Separately, sectoral tariffs continue to apply for some products:

    • 25% for autos and auto parts (NZ$56 million - 1.8% of US goods imports from NZ)

    • 50% for steel and aluminium (NZ$157 million - 0.6% of total US imports from NZ)

    • 50% for copper (NZ$15 million – 0.2% of total US imports from NZ)

    There are some exceptions where New Zealand exports just face the MFN tariff. This is primarily for those sectors facing ongoing section 232 investigations.

    The Tariff Finder sets out the total tariffs for each US tariff line, including where higher sectoral tariffs apply or where there is an exception.

    Should you have further questions, please get in contact with us at us.exports@mfat.govt.nz 

    You are welcome to share, distribute, re-use and re-publish this report as you see fit, as long as no substantive changes are made, and it continues to be attributed to the Ministry.  
     
    You can view the complete list of market reports published to date here: www.mfat.govt.nz/market-reports  

    Please contact us with any further questions on us.exports@mfat.govt.nz

    Read full report


  • 05 Aug 2025 8:43 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    The United States has confirmed that tariffs on New Zealand exports will increase from 10 per cent to 15 per cent from 7 August, placing us alongside other key US trading partners including Japan and South Korea.

    Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says, this decision appears to be based on a calculation of trade deficits, with countries running a surplus with the US moved to the higher rate. In New Zealand’s case, the surplus is modest, around US$500 million, and is not overly significant in the context of the US economy.

    Over the past decade, our trade relationship with the US has seen periods where the US enjoyed a significant surplus and times, like now, when New Zealand has a modest one. Overall, our trade is balanced and complementary, reflecting the strength of a long-standing partnership.

    “I am seeking an urgent call with the US Trade Representative to make New Zealand’s position clear: this increase risks harming exporters and consumers of both countries. The US currently faces an average tariff of just 0.8 per cent when exporting to New Zealand, far lower than what we face into their market,” Mr McClay says.

    “New Zealand exports around $9 billion of goods to the US annually. At 15 per cent, the impact will be considerable for exporters, many of whom absorbed or passed on the earlier 10 per cent rate. At 15 per cent, that becomes much harder.

    “Our focus now moves to engaging directly with the US on this current announcement to seek changes to this decision.

    “New Zealand has always stood for open, rules-based trade. We will continue to advocate strongly for a resolution that supports our exporters and maintains the strength of our trading relationship with the United States.”

    Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/

  • 30 Jul 2025 1:55 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    The Commerce Commission has received a clearance application from Kegstar New Zealand Limited to acquire kegs, beacons attached to those kegs or held in inventory, and New Zealand keg records, from Konvoy New Zealand LimitedKegstar and Konvoy both supply beer kegs to breweries on a rental basis, as well as providing logistics services.

    Kegstar is owned by MicroStar Logistics, LLC which operates a keg services business across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the US.

    Konvoy is owned by Konvoy Holdings Pty Limited, which operates a keg services business in Australia and New Zealand. Konvoy was placed into receivership in March 2025 and went into liquidation on 30 May 2025.

    A public version of the clearance application will be available shortly on the Commission’s case register.

    Source: https://comcom.govt.nz/

  • 24 Jul 2025 10:09 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    AgriZeroNZ has invested US $3.5 million (NZ $6.3 million) in biotech company BiomEdit to accelerate its development of a probiotic-based feed additive to enhance productivity and reduce methane emissions from dairy cows.

    The public-private partnership’s latest investment follows recent backing of two other companies developing probiotic-based solutions: Hoofprint Biome Inc (US) and Bovotica (Australia).

    AgriZeroNZ chief executive Wayne McNee says probiotic solutions are an important part of its expanding investment portfolio, which also includes a bolus, vaccines, inhibitors and pasture.

    “We’re investing in local and global companies to give us the best chance of providing New Zealand farmers with access to a range of affordable, effective mitigation solutions to choose from.”

    McNee says early investment in global companies ensures products are developed for pasture-based systems and making those tools available in New Zealand, which is a relatively small market on a global scale, is a priority.

    “Probiotics are of particular interest to us because they’re naturally occurring and have the potential to deliver a productivity benefit alongside a methane reduction – benefits that are likely to be powerful drawcards for farmer uptake.”

    Indiana-based BiomEdit are specialists in microbial discovery to address major challenges in animal health.

    Their unique scientific approach identifies microbes that improve an animal’s health and performance, which enables development of probiotics to effectively feed these beneficial microbes to animals.

    “BiomEdit’s team is highly experienced with proven ability to take a product from discovery to commercialisation. We’re pleased to support them to leverage this expertise to help Kiwi farmers reduce methane emissions without compromising productivity and profitability.”

    Wayne McNee, AgriZeroNZ chief executive

    BiomEdit CEO, Aaron Schacht, says their approach enables them to ‘make life difficult for methanogens’, the methane-forming microbes ruminant animals produce in their rumen while they digest their food.

    “We’ve discovered naturally occurring microbes that inhibit methanogen activity and simultaneously increase production by repurposing that energy to improve rumen function.

    “Our early lab trials have shown promising results and this support from AgriZeroNZ will help us continue to test and refine the product to ensure its long-lasting enough to be effective in grazing systems and, importantly, safe for cattle.”

    Animal trials are currently underway in the US, with plans to do larger-scale trials in New Zealand later this year.

    Schacht says they’re targeting a 30% reduction in methane emissions from its natural probiotic, and future products could see a 50% reduction with the use of engineered probiotics.

    “To improve the methane-inhibiting properties of the naturally occurring microbes, we’re exploring how we can engineer certain strains to express safe molecules – either peptides or proteins – that directly target methanogens. The goal would be even greater levels of enteric methane reduction and higher performance.”

    While BiomEdit’s natural probiotic should have a straightforward pathway to get regulatory approval in New Zealand, McNee notes the process for any future engineered products will be dependent on the outcome of the Gene Technology Bill. 

    “With global markets starting to demand lower-emissions products, cutting-edge innovations could be the solution to help New Zealand farmers stay ahead, meet those expectations, and keep delivering high-quality food.”

    AgriZeroNZ’s investment was part of BiomEdit’s Series B funding round which raised more than US $18 million. It was led by Anterra Capital, with follow-on investment from Nutreco and new participation from Indiana’s Elevate Ventures, and Betagro among others.

    Source: https://www.agrizero.nz/





  • 21 Jul 2025 2:16 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    One of New Zealand’s most prominent investment firms has made a US$1 billion ($1.7b) investment linked to one of the largest technology infrastructure projects in the world – OpenAI’s US$500b Project Stargate.

    Morrison, the firm that manages Infratil, acquired an American underground fibre cable company called FiberLight in 2022, but its connection to the project was not known until now.

    “FiberLight, being a Texas-based network, has been supporting the Stargate initiative from a backbone standpoint,” Morrison executive director Robert Huang told Markets with Madison at its office in New York.

    “We’re really excited to be a part of all of that.”

    FiberLight had 32,000km of cabling underground in Virginia and Texas, cities where some of the largest clusters of data centre compute were being built to power artificial intelligence.

    “If you were to replace that network, conduit by conduit, strand by strand, it would probably cost you about US$3b today.”

    Stargate was a new company set up by OpenAI, Softbank, Oracle and MGX this year to build critical infrastructure required to train and power AI models such as ChatGPT, which absorbed enormous amounts of compute.

    Its first investment was under way in Abilene, Texas.

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his company would also spend hundreds of millions of US dollars to build its own infrastructure as it raced to catch up to leading AI players OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.

    “My hope is that the trend will continue for at least five years,” Huang said of the investment cycle.

    In today’s episode of Markets with Madison above, he explains how and why Morrison is investing in all aspects of AI infrastructure – and if it’s too late to make big returns.

    Madison Malone travelled to the United States with support from the NZUS Council Media Fellowship programme. The council is committed to advancing New Zealand’s shared interests with the United States. Find out more about the NZUS Council here.

    Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/


  • 21 Jul 2025 11:44 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Blackpearl Group Limited (NZX: BPG) has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in B2B Rocket Inc, a US-based AI sales automation company.

    B2B Rocket (www.b2brocket.ai) specialises in automating outbound sales processes for small to mid-sized businesses using AI-powered agents that generate, qualify, and engage leads on behalf of customers. With approximately US$2.1 million (NZ$3.4 million) in annual recurring revenue (ARR), the business has already achieved product market fit and continues to scale rapidly across the US SMB segment.

    Blackpearl CEO Nick Lissette said B2B Rocket is a compelling and immediately synergistic addition to the group. “B2B Rocket’s agentic technology is a perfect fit alongside both Pearl Diver and Bebop. I’ve personally sat in on customer demos for Pearl Diver where we’ve been asked, ‘Can you integrate with B2B Rocket?’ Leveraging AI agents for customer outreach – across email, LinkedIn, and AI-driven phone calls – opens up new, ultra-affordable channels to help our customers find more customers. B2B Rocket is experiencing impressive growth on its own. With the integration of Blackpearl Group’s proprietary data engine, the Pearl Engine, we see a clear opportunity to act as a force multiplier to further accelerate that momentum. Coupled with cross-sell opportunities, this is a classic 1 + 1 = 3.”

    Under the terms of the agreement, the consideration payable includes a completion payment of US$4 million in cash and 1.725 million BPG shares

    In addition, the agreement includes performance-based payments of up to US$8 million over five years, including up to US$2.5 million in BPG shares (issued at the prevailing market price of BPG shares). The payments are linked to B2B Rocket hitting defined revenue milestones and are structured to reward sustained performance through to a maximum payout upon B2B Rocket reaching approximately US$20 million (NZ$34 million) in ARR.

    Completion of the acquisition remains subject to the conversion of certain equity interests in B2B Rocket, BPG having its shares quoted on the ASX market, and other customary conditions for a transaction of this nature. Subject to satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is expected to complete in August 2025.

    BPG is evaluating a full range of funding options for the acquisition, including a mix of cash, debt and equity initiatives. The company will update the market once a final funding structure has been finalised.

    In parallel with this transaction, Blackpearl confirms it is preparing to file an application for a foreign exempt listing on the ASX. The company’s primary listing will remain on the NZX.

    Contact: Released for and on behalf of BPG, Karen Cargill Chief Governance Officer and Interim CFO

    https://www.nzx.com/

  • 06 Jul 2025 12:41 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Wellington, New Zealand – Black Pearl Group Limited (NZX:BPG) has announced that Bebop, its latest AI-driven sales enablement product, has reached $1.2 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in just 45 days - making it the fastest-growing product in the company's history. Bebop achieved this milestone at twice the speed of Pearl Diver, itself a standout performer with $10 million of ARR within 24 months.

    Most SMEs have been locked out of high-quality sales intelligence - legacy platforms like ZoomInfo, Clearbit, and Apollo are built for enterprise and priced accordingly. Bebop changes that. In just seconds, this AI sales agent scans millions of US-based companies to deliver a hyper-targeted list of verified decision-makers, complete with personalised strategic dossiers.

    “Bebop is like ChatGPT, but specifically built for sales and revenue growth. This is one of the fastest go-to-market trajectories we’ve seen across the SaaS and AI landscape, and customers have rapidly validated our value proposition. We hit it out of the park with Pearl Diver, so it’s extremely exciting to see Bebop overtake its impressive early adoption. Bebop’s traction validates our core thesis: that speed, usability, and value drive adoption. And our platform was built to scale these advantages, fast” comments Nick Lissette, Chief Executive Officer

    Faster and more intelligent for a fraction of the cost

    Bebop delivers enterprise-grade sales intelligence at a fraction of the cost of other platforms - finally making AI-powered sales intelligence accessible to the SME market.

    “There’s rising demand for AI-native, cost-effective sales tools that solve real SME challenges. With Bebop, we imagined unlocking unlimited revenue opportunities and cutting-edge business intelligence. Early customer feedback highlights Bebop’s ability to “save hours in research,” “generate customers effortlessly,” and “bring the power of AI to the everyday business owner”. That’s real results; and a real threat to Silicon Valley sales giants,” believes Lissette.

    He adds that this previous generation of B2B tools relies on SQL queries over large databases, with apps designed to make that experience as seamless as possible. “Bebop has intelligence at its core - genuinely understanding what a business provides and exactly who needs it. Our product delivers a fundamentally different experience that unlocks deep insights that fuel measurable revenue growth.”

    Doubling down on AI’s potential

    Bebop was developed and taken to market in just 90 days. This was only possible because of years of investment into Blackpearl Group’s proprietary software and data platform - formally known as Pearl Engine - a testament to the company’s rapid innovation and robust technology infrastructure.

    “That conviction has been validated. The results show Bebop is not just viable – it’s a force multiplier for BPG’s revenue growth. It now stands alongside Pearl Diver as a key driver in our product portfolio, reinforcing our strategy of building scalable, high-impact tools for customer acquisition,” reiterates Lissette. “Bebop’s rapid market-fit means our line of sight on $20M ARR is even clearer. And this also will greatly contribute to our medium target of $50M ARR.”

    “We have deliberately invested since our capital raise intovplatform development and talent acquisition. The vision and engine is working. Our investment and market timing have aligned. With two products both demonstrating scale and demand, we’re well positioned for sustained growth,” concludes Karen Cargill, Interim Chief Financial Officer

    About Blackpearl Group

    Blackpearl Group (BPG) is a market leading data technology company that pioneers AI-driven sales and marketing solutions for the US market. Specifically engineered for small-medium sized businesses (SMEs), BPG consistently delivers exceptional value to its customers. Our mantra is simple: ‘Better Growth Together’. When our customers win, we win.

    Founded in 2012, BPG is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and Phoenix, Arizona.

    www.Blackpearl.com



<< First  < Prev   1   2   3   4   5   ...   Next >  Last >> 




   © American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand Inc  •  Site by HighlandCreative.com.au