Auckland Business Chamber CEO Michael Barnett appealed
for support for exporters at the annual Finance Lunch this
afternoon. In the Q&A following Hon Grant Robertson’s
address, Barnett said freight costs up were up 150 to 200%,
labour costs had increased and the exchange rate had risen
sharply. “All of these things are frustrating an export
sector that has protected New Zealand over the last 12
months,” Mr Barnett said.
Robertson, who spoke via
Zoom, responded that he was very well aware of the critical
role that our export sector has played.
“We have
been in this from the start in terms of the air freight
subsidy, he said. Where it is more challenging is in sea
freight. We looked if there was an equivalent scheme for sea
freight, but it doesn’t work quite that way. We will
continue to work on doing everything we can to unclog the
supply chain.”
However, Robertson said he was not
proposing any new support for exporters at
present.
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