The opening of a new Trade New Zealand office at the New Zealand consulate in Toronto was an exciting step forward in relations with Canada, Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton said today.

"I am pleased to announce that Trade New Zealand is adding its presence to the New Zealand Consulate in Toronto with the appointment of Denny Raincock as Trade New Zealand's Market Manager in Toronto," he said.

New Zealand companies sold some C$257 million (NZ$408 million) worth of goods to Canada last year - a one-third increase over 1999 in New Zealand dollar value. Mr Sutton said he hoped the new office would consolidate and build the volume and value of the exports.

"The prosperity of both our countries is tied to trade", Mr Sutton said. "Canada has a strong economy and good prospects for growth".

Following the appointment of a New Zealand Honorary Consul in the city last year, Toronto was the obvious choice for a second trade office which would build on the work being done by Trade New Zealand in Vancouver and the New Zealand High Commission in Ottawa. As the business and industrial heart of Canada, Toronto holds huge potential for New Zealand business.

"While New Zealand exports to Canada have traditionally been dominated by food and beverage products, the new Toronto office will help stimulate trade in less traditional areas such as software, electronics and bio-technologies.

"We see a lot of potential for New Zealand and Canadian companies working in these areas to enter into strategic alliances that will add value to both partners.

"Canada is an old friend for New Zealand and an important trading partner. Our two nations are culturally similar and we have much shared history. There are many opportunities to strengthen that relationship further through trade."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>