Exports to New Zealand from the Pacific were worth $NZ47 million ($F68.3m) despite the global impact of COVID-19.
Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand Trade Commissioner Glynis Miller said this was a significant drop from the $NZ147m ($F213.7m) made in the first quarter of 2019.
She said they were trying to assist the regional businesses to capitalise on this growing market.
“So you’ve got a huge market and remember New Zealand has a very large Pasifika population,” she said.
“In the first quarter of 2019, fresh and frozen produce from the Pacific, there was $NZ147m made from exports.
“When COVID hit, it was landing at $47m of trade into New Zealand from the region.
“For an agency that is supposed to be representing the region, as the Trade Commissioner my first reaction was what are we doing about that?
“Why aren’t we in that space? How much of that is attributed to us and how much of that is attributed to us and how much is attributed to independent contracts?”
She said there were many opportunities for local businesses in the New Zealand market.
“So when we talk to MPI, the Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand, we found that it shows the opportunities that are there and what we are exporting to New Zealand as a region is just scratching the surface.”
