News:
Have you ever asked whether these may be able to be challenged? The government is committed to remove barriers to trade which if they can be resolved can show a direct benefit to your bottom line.
Barriers to trade can affect all forms of goods and services exports, from food and manufactured goods through to digital of other services.
For instance New Zealand exporters to Saudi faced a substantial hike in visa fees in 2016 when the government of Saudi Arabia implemented a new law which increased fees for a single entry visas tenfold, from NZ$74 to NZ$743. This imposed a considerable cost on New Zealand companies doing business with Saudi Arabia.
The New Zealand Embassy in Riyadh made representations to the Saudi government based on the fact that New Zealand offers visa free entry to Saudi businesspeople and visitors while the new fees could negatively affect the developing commercial relationship with New Zealand.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered the written submission from New Zealand and directed that New Zealand be exempted from the new visa fees. As of March 2017, the fees reverted to around NZ$96. The move was well received by New Zealand businesses and the New Zealand-Middle East Business Council.
Another example was in Malaysia, where recognition of New Zealand tertiary degrees has meant that New Zealand is eligible for scholarships from the Malaysian public service that it had been previously excluded from.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority worked with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency to get New Zealand qualifications recognised for employment purposes in the Malaysian public service. Bachelor degrees, followed by masters and doctoral degrees were successfully recognised.
This supports the ability of New Zealand tertiary education providers to attract Malaysian students by reducing the barriers to employment for students returning to Malaysia after graduating.
If your business is facing barriers to trade tell the Government about it on www.tradebarriers.govt.nz(external link). They will get back to you within 2 working days and work out next steps within 6 weeks.