New zealand Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in new zealand, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Selling Factors & Techniques
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New Zealand companies are experienced in dealing with U.S. companies remotely and electronic communication is the norm, including through popular videoconferencing platforms. Domestically, sales calls and one-on-one discussions with potential buyers are the predominant method of selling capital-intensive or service products to other businesses. 

Trade Promotion and Advertising

U.S. companies can raise their visibility in the local market by linking to the New Zealand Commercial Service website under the “Business Service Provider” and “Featured U.S. Exporters Listings.” For additional information on these services check https://www.trade.gov/all-services.

In-country promotion of U.S. products and services is offered via the Single Company Promotion service. This program provides U.S. companies with promotional services including a technical seminar, press conference, luncheon, dinner, or reception with a targeted audience.

Pricing

There are no government price control regulations. A Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 15% is applied to all goods and services across the board.
 

Sales Service/Customer Support

Sales service and customer support are important for New Zealand retailers and manufacturers. The New Zealand consumer is discerning. The entrance of U.S.-based retailers and franchises has contributed to increased service expectations.  At the industrial level, service and technical support remains an important competitive factor.

Local Professional Services

Local professional services such as accounting, consulting, human resources, and finance are widely available and perform to a high standard. Several U.S. and global service providers operate in New Zealand’s cities.

Principal Business Associations

The American Chamber of Commerce supports a New Zealand office. Membership comprises of around 480 members, of which 25% are U.S. companies, 25% are multinationals, and 50% New Zealand companies. Approximately 20% of members export to the U.S. Most members represent the services sector: banks/financial services, insurance, lawyers, accountants, freight and logistics, immigration, universities, local government/government agencies.

New Zealand’s own Chambers of Commerce network is divided into four hubs: Northern, Central, Canterbury, and Southern. These are affiliated with 22,000 Chambers internationally through the International Chamber of Commerce. The Chambers are receptive to U.S. companies joining as members.

There are many industry associations in New Zealand receptive to U.S. company membership.

Limitations on Selling U.S. Products and Services

There are no known manufacturing sectors or services which exclude U.S. business. 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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