{
  "id": 714956,
  "title": "Exporters face $9b cost from trade barriers, ExportNZ says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/exporters-face-9b-cost-from-trade-barriers-exportnz-says",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-12T23:21:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RNZ Business",
    "slug": "rnz-business",
    "url": "https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/988785/exporters-face-9b-cost-from-trade-barriers-exportnz-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New Zealand exporters are facing over $9 billion annually in costs from non-tariff barriers, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade figures cited by ExportNZ. The organization recommends identifying and removing these obstacles to boost economic growth, as part of 14 action points in its Grow Locally, Compete Globally report. MFAT data reveals that 83 percent of New Zealand's exports are affected by non-tariff barriers, with products typically facing nine separate obstacles in the markets they enter.\n\nExportNZ's Executive Director, Joshua Tan, states that these barriers have become a significant constraint on export growth, even as free trade agreements have reduced traditional tariffs. Tan emphasizes that local businesses must contend with distance, freight costs, and limited scale. He highlights that New Zealand's small size and long export distances make businesses particularly vulnerable to over-the-top regulatory requirements, which often change unexpectedly.\n\nNon-tariff barriers encompass various factors, including certification requirements, technical standards, labeling rules, customs processes, and differing regulations between markets. Tan emphasizes that even a single technical or certification issue could render a potentially valuable market commercially unviable, especially for smaller exporters.\n\nWhile negotiating more free trade agreements is one solution, Tan argues that New Zealand must also build the capability to defend its access and help businesses convert that access into actual sales. The organization's blueprint calls for additional measures, such as a national export readiness program, increased adoption of paperless trade systems, more research and development support, and improved coordination between government agencies and exporters.",
  "summary": "It says even one technical or certification issue can make a potentially valuable market commercially unviable, especially for smaller exporters.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}