“The National-led Government is committed to removing barriers to trade so our exporters can compete internationally,” McClay says. “NTBs can be difficult and expensive for exporters to overcome and they are a significant issue.

“Around 70 percent of New Zealand’s exports are sent to the Asia-Pacific region where it’s estimated NTBs impose costs of USD $5.9 billion alone. It’s vital our companies know where to turn when they encounter such barriers so we are today launching a new all of government online portal and clearing house.”

The new portal is tradebarriers.govt.nz.

“All enquiries to the portal will now get a response from the Government within 48 hours,” McClay says. “Officials from a range of government agencies will then work alongside the company to plan out next steps within six weeks.

“The NTB clearing house was announced as part of the National-led Government’s ambitious new trade strategy – Trade Agenda 2030 in March. We made a promise and we’ve delivered on it. It is backed up by an NTB flying squad and $27 million of extra funding for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to improve access to international markets.”

Source: NZ Government