News

New data from the ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer confirms what many of our members have been telling us directly: exporting has never been harder, yet Kiwi businesses continue to find a way through. 

The headline numbers 

• Every measured barrier to exporting worsened over the past year, including transport costs, tariff uncertainty and rising geopolitical tension 

• Despite this, 45% of exporters grew their overseas sales in the past 12 months 

• 57% expect further growth in the year ahead 

• 45% are absorbing higher freight costs themselves rather than passing them on, with only 9% fully recovering those costs from customers 

Why this matters for our region 

Business South is part of the BusinessNZ Network, alongside BusinessNZ, EMA and Business Central. That means when ExportNZ surveys businesses nationally, Otago and Southland exporters are part of that voice, and the trends we see locally, rising freight costs, supply chain uncertainty, the push into new markets, are reflected in the national picture. 

It also means we're not just watching from the sidelines. Through the network, we help channel what we hear from local exporters into national advocacy, and bring national policy work back to our members here in the south. 

What businesses are telling us 

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the results show real resilience, with exporters investing in new technology, improving processes and pushing into markets across Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East, supported by New Zealand's expanding network of free trade agreements. 

ExportNZ Executive Director Joshua Tan points to a decade of disruption, from supply chain chaos to tariff confusion to spiking fuel and input costs, and says exporters are still finding ways to build new market relationships and open the door for others behind them. 

What exporters are asking for 

The message from the survey is clear: businesses aren't asking to be sheltered from global competition. They want practical support, including: 

• Continued progress on free trade agreements 

• Government backing for trade promotion and market access 

• Help building relationships in key international markets 

Our part in this 

This is exactly the kind of insight we rely on to make the case to government on behalf of our members. If your business is exporting, or thinking about it, and facing barriers like these, we want to hear from you. Your experience adds weight to the advocacy we do through the BusinessNZ Network, and helps us make sure the challenges facing southern exporters aren't lost in a national conversation. 

Get in touch with the team if you'd like to share your story, or if there's a specific export barrier you think needs airtime with government. 

Read the full ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer at exportnz.org.nz