Trade opportunities with the US

Pacific Futures conference highlights trade opportunities with the US

With the U.S. announcing 2007 to be the ‘Year of the Pacific’ New Zealanders are being asked to rethink the trade opportunities in the wider Pacific at this year’s Pacific Futures conference on Thursday May 3 at the Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland.

The Pacific Futures conference will help identify the opportunities that relate to New Zealand’s trade and relations with the Pacific Island territories and how New Zealand can best extend existing ties. The conference will concentrate on the building of relationships and networks between Pacific business and government representatives.

Conference speakers will feature the Mayor of Honolulu, Honorable Mufi Hannemann and high ranking government official David B. Cohen. Both Hannemann and Cohen have extensive experience with the US presidency and both are of Samoan heritage.

Honorable Mufi Hannermann, Honolulu’s first ‘native born’ mayor in 40 years, has served in the Carter, Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Mayor Hannemann is a Harvard graduate and has a New Zealand connection as he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Victoria University Wellington in 1977.

Mr. Cohen has con joint governmental roles; in 2005 he was appointed by President George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice to serve as the U.S. representative to the Pacific Community.

He is also the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs, a Federal official role in which he oversees a budget of over US$400 million.

Gilbert Ullrich, Chairperson for the New Zealand Pacific Business council, one of the conference organisers, foresees relationships with the American Pacific as a way into the American mainland. “The increased dialogue and expansion of business between our country and the Pacific area can only lead to greater opportunities into the US,” he said.

“New Zealand companies, like those in construction or supply, can cut their teeth doing US work. Whether it be for local governments, the military or international Church organisations such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this can lead to vast opportunities,” said Mr Ulrich. “I commend to any New Zealand company to consider the Pacific Futures Conference as one of its first steps into the American Pacific and US markets.”

The Pacific Futures Conference has been organised by the New Zealand Pacific Business Council, The University of Auckland Business School Mira Szászy Research Centre and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

ENDS

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