New Zealand Trade opportunities

We were proud to receive a 30 strong delegation from Vietnam Chambers of Commerce who were met by 30 of our members to discuss and understand trade opportunities. Lead speakers were

H.E. Mr Nguyen Hoang Long - Ambassador, Embassy of Vietnam to the UK

Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh - Vice Executive Chairman of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)

Mr Trieu The Hung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Dr Renu Raj on International Mediation and Arbitration

And a case study, from a British perspective, of trade with Vietnam by Mr Brook Horowitz CEO IBLF Group VCCI said that they are seeking partners in fields such as education, construction, industrial machinery, high technology, and financial investment consulting, among others.

Following the signing of our Chambers MOU with Phil Wood OBE, President, British New Zealand Business Association, and the government Free Trade Agreement, we were proud to hear from Phil via Zoom about how he can introduce New Zealand companies to our members. We were also incredibly pleased to have a live interactive session with Joe Nelson, Trade Commissioner, New Zealand High Commission who talked through trade in IT, Wine, Food and Agriculture and reminded us that the first New Zealand lamb was shipped to the UK 130 years ago.

We were pleased to exhibit with other companies at the Hoxton Hotel, Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith, to show friendship and promote bilateral trade. A packed-out hall heard speeches by Cllr Steve Cowan, Leader Hammersmith & Fulham council, Mr Hseih, Taiwan Diplomatic Representative London, Sam Lui, and Evelyn Lee, Chairwoman of the UK Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce.

The Changing Environment

To reflect on global trade and its implications on the planet we were proud to have as a guest speaker Jonathon Porritt CBE who talked about climate change. He highlighted forest fires in Southern Europe and in North America, Hurricanes in the Caribbean, and Tornadoes in the pacific that are no longer ‘one off’ events but are now regular occurrences multiple times a year. This will be reflected in insurance premiums in the future and could even result in some areas becoming uninsurable, with all the implications that that entails. We were also proud to invite a select group of students from West Thames College to hear this presentation. We also heard presentations from Dr Amy Burnett and Dr Robyn Owen from Middlesex University on ‘Greening up Freight and Logistics’ and ‘Green Open Innovation.’ Following this oneto-one meeting were held in a breakout room with our members.