WELLINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand exporters are reporting sales growth overseas despite facing the "toughest trading conditions on record," according to a survey released Wednesday.
The ExportNZ survey found that all measured barriers to exporting worsened over the past year, including higher transport costs, tariff uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions. Despite this, 45 percent of exporters reported they had grown exports in the past 12 months, while 57 percent expected further growth in the year ahead.
The survey also found that 45 percent of exporters are absorbing higher freight costs, while only 9 percent are fully passing them on to customers, reflecting efforts to protect long-term customer relationships by keeping prices as competitive as possible.
ExportNZ Executive Director Joshua Tan said exporters "remain cautiously optimistic" with results showing more than half expect exports to grow over the next 12 months.
BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich said the results highlight both the resilience of exporters and the scale of ongoing challenges, noting that firms are expanding into markets across Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East. ■
