Media Release - 25 June 2025 The New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Felicity Roxburgh as its...
New Zealand International Business Forum Launch Function 14 June 2007 Opening remarks by the Chairman, Graeme Harrison

Ladies and gentlemen,
My name is Graeme Harrison and it’s my privilege as Chairman of the International Business Forum to welcome you this evening. Thank you all for joining us.
On your behalf I’d like to welcome the Honourable Lianne Dalziel, Minister of Commerce, who is representing the Government.
The Government will be a key partner of the Forum and I will invite the Minister to address us shortly.
The Forum is fortunate in having attracted a strong Board drawn from the country’s leading internationally oriented companies and peak business organisations.
Allow me to introduce my fellow Board members who are here this evening:
- Don Elder, Chief Executive, Solid Energy NZ Ltd
- Rod Carr, Managing Director, Jade Software Corporation
- Charles Finny, Chief Executive, Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Tony Nowell, Chief Executive, Zespri
- Henry van der Heyden, Chairman, Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd.
Our other Board members Robin Hapi (Sealord), John Maasland (Auckland International Airport), Jon Mayson (Export New Zealand) and Phil O’Reilly (Business NZ) unfortunately could not be with us.
I would also like to acknowledge Stephen Jacobi who has accepted the role of Executive Director of the Forum.
That we are here at all is the result of a lot of hard work over the last eight months.
Establishing the Forum has been the subject of extensive consultation with business stakeholders and with the Minister’s colleague, the Honourable Phil Goff and his officials.
I would like to extend our grateful thanks to Minter Ellison Rudd Watts which provided legal advice towards our establishment.
We’re here tonight because we believe there is a role for business to work alongside the Government in setting some priorities for New Zealand’s international business engagement.
There is no shortage of studies telling us that we as a country are falling behind our competitors in terms of growing exports and outward and inward investment.
Yet expanding international business is vital for increasing productivity, raising living standards and lifting overall economic performance.
The Government has a clear role to play in putting the place the right external relationships as well as positive economic policies and negotiating improved market access.
But at the end of the day business is done by business: it is we who have the commercial interest, the market knowledge and the contacts and networks that will ensure these efforts are properly focused.
In the case of the United States we have seen how government and business working together can take a key relationship to a new level.
Some of us attended the inaugural Partnership Forum in Washington DC last April which gave rise to a process of relationship building on the part of both governments.
At our Board meeting today we agreed to proceed with a foundation project focused on strengthening New Zealand’s business and economic relationship with Japan.
I am delighted to confirm that the Government will assist us to implement this project both through funding and on the ground assistance from Ambassador Ian Kennedy and his team in Tokyo.
We have chosen Japan because of the size and potential represented by the Japanese economy – the world’s second largest – and the opportunity it represents for New Zealand.
We face stiff competition in the Japanese market and we need to reinvigorate ties across the board.
Over time the Forum intends to develop similar projects in relation to Korea and the European Union while supporting existing efforts with regard to Australia, the United States and China.
We will also facilitate research relevant to New Zealand’s international competitiveness in offshore markets.
We will continue to make the case for international business as well as the importance of open markets.
We intend this organisation to be focused and targeted in our approach.
It makes more sense for us to do a few things well rather than spread ourselves and our resources too thinly.
We will work with anyone who shares our vision of New Zealand enterprises more fully engaged and integrated in international markets.
We are here to steal nobody’s thunder: we are motivated solely by what will deliver value for New Zealand’s international business.
We are here to show leadership and advocate for change: we seek your support and invite you to work with us.
It’s now my pleasure to invite the Minister of Commerce, the Honourable Lianne Dalziel, to speak to us.
REGISTER WITH TRADE WORKS
Register to stay up to date with latest news, as well as saving and discussing articles you’re interested in.
Latest News
Felicity Roxburgh Appointed Executive Director of the New Zealand International Business Forum
Media Release - 25 June 2025 The New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Felicity Roxburgh as its new Executive Director. She will officially take up the role on 7 July 2025. Felicity brings nearly two decades of...
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGE AT NZ INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FORUM
Media release, 4 June 2025 Long-time trade advocate Stephen Jacobi will retire from the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) on 30 June 2025. “Stephen has made a major contribution to New Zealand’s economy and our trade interests through his articulate,...
ADDRESS TO THE 56TH ONE STOP UPDATE FOR THE ACCOUNTANT IN BUSINESS
CHRISTCHURCH AND AUCKLAND, MAY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GLOBAL MACRO-ECONOMIC AND TRADE UPDATE My thanks as always to Brightstar for the invitation to be with you today. As some of you will know I have been a serial attender at these events, normally...
2025 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Joint Statement
Jeju, Republic of Korea | 16 May 2025 Read the original post here 1.We, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT), met in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from 15-16 May 2025, under the chairmanship of H.E. Inkyo Cheong, Minister of...
REMARKS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT NZ RURAL AND PROVINCIAL SECTOR MEETING
2 MAY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IMPACT OF TRADE WARS ON NZ My thanks to Local Government NZ for the invitation to be with you today. As a resident of Napier I am all the more pleased to contribute to this rural and provincial sector meeting. Whether you...
SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE ON A COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH INDIA
April 2025 Introduction This submission is being made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF), whose members are listed at Annex A[1]. NZIBF is a group of senior business leaders working together to promote New Zealand’s engagement in the...
LAMENTATION DAY
When President Trump spoke in the White House Rose Garden to launch his wrecking-ball “fair and reciprocal tariffs”, there were some in the audience wearing hard hats. While this was doubtless to show support for the move amongst hard-working Americans, maybe...
BUSINESS FORUM DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED WITH UNJUSTIFIED US TARIFFS
Media release, 4 April 2025 The New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) has reacted with deep disappointment to the news that the United States will implement an additional 10 percent ad valorem tariff on New Zealand exports. “The United States is a close and...
Bull in a China Shop: Market Price Support in the Dairy Industry
Market price support policies (aka as “subsidies”) in the agriculture sector are a classic example of what is meant by 'beggar thy neighbour'. One country attempts to improve its own economic situation by intervening in the market on behalf of its producers, at the...
BUSINESS FORUM WELCOMES INDIA FTA NEGOTIATIONS
Media release, 17 March 2025 The NZ International Business Forum (NZIBF) welcomes the launch of free trade negotiations with India, announced in Delhi, and is particularly pleased that these will proceed on a comprehensive basis. “There is enormous value to be gained...
Playing the long trade game with India
Prime Minister Luxon is at last making his visit to India with a large business and community delegation. We wish them well in expanding and deepening the relationship with India. The reasons for doing so we have explained previously. Our Government’s...
SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
PROPOSED GREEN ECONOMY JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH CHILE AND SINGAPORE MARCH 2025 Introduction This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF), whose members are listed at Annex A[1]. NZIBF is a forum of senior business leaders...
PRESENTATION TO APEC BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL: ADDRESSING PROTECTIONISM AND NON TARIFF BARRIERS
BRISBANE, 24 FEBRUARY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZIBF My thanks to Anna Curzon and Stephanie Honey for giving me one last opportunity to speak to ABAC. I want to talk today about rising protectionism and proliferating non tariff barriers. It’s not a new...
Business Leaders Sound Alarm on Global Economic Uncertainty: Call for Unified APEC Action
Brisbane, Australia, 25 February 2025 - Among rising global economic tension, the APEC Business Advisory Council met in Brisbane this week to reaffirm its support for the value of trade and cooperation, and the original APEC commitment to free, fair, open and...
REMARKS TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE COMMITTEE – 20 FEBRUARY 2025
RATIFICATION OF NEW ZEALAND-UAE COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CEPA) STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZIBF Thank you Chair for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today. I do so on behalf of the members of the NZ International Business...
0 Comments