PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 14, 2026 – Full Text

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

A well-known Wellington Cafe is considering introducing a fuel surcharge in response to its suppliers hiking up their prices.

Smith the Grocer in The Old Bank Arcade on Lambton Quay has had its raw ingredients and services have go up because of rising fuel costs triggered by the war in the Middle East.

The cafe’s owner Kirsten Saunders told Checkpoint they were not “pulling the lever” yet but it was a “watch and see situation” with suppliers raising costs.

She said three out of eight of their suppliers had already added fuel surcharges to their products.

“One which is a meat supplier is applying a 4 percent across the board effective immediately and they’ve also advised that any increases that they get from their suppliers will be passed through to us and they’re expecting there to be some.”

Saunders said another supplier was applying a 5 percent increase temporarily while one supplier is increasing the price of eggs per box by a certain amount.

On the fuel application Gaspy, 91 fuel was an average of $3.48 a litre and diesel was averaging $3.89 per litre.

The impact of these charges on the cafe was yet to be determined as Saunders said they were waiting to see the next set of invoices.

It was also some relief that they cafe’s biggest supplier, Gilmours, hadn’t added a surcharge.

Saunders said they would rather avoid adding a surcharge, but their margins had been modest.

“Most of our costs are fixed, when the cost of ingredients goes up, we either need to absorb those costs which in the long term is not sustainable or we do need to pass it on.”

She said fluctuations in hospitality prices are common, especially with costs going up.

“We normally would make little adjustment to the specific items in the menu that was affected by that increase.

But when we’re getting increases across the board from suppliers it’s sort of a different kettle of fish.”

She said a surcharge would be the fairest way to do it because they can remove it or make it reflect the extra costs the business is actually incurring.

Saunders felt most of their customers were very loyal and understanding and as a result they would not respond too badly to the surcharge.

“No one is going to like it, none of us like it when all the prices go up do we, but it’s just a bit of a rock and a hard place.”

She said while they haven’t thought of exactly how much the surcharge would be, they have sought advice through Hospitality New Zealand who spoken with the commerce commission.

Saunders said according to the fair-trading act, the cafe could have a surcharge if it accurately reflects the genuine cost the business is seeing.

“We also need to comply with the commerce act which is that each business must make its own independent decision about whether to apply a surcharge and make sure there is no perceived coordination or collusion.”

In the three years that Saunders had owned the cafe she said it was doing relatively well but there were many financial obstacles incoming.

“I see a lot of others suffering more around this than we are, but it does feel like there’s a bit of a perfect storm brewing at the moment with lots of things outside of our control.”

Along with fuel costs, she said there were also increases in kiwi saver contributions, minimum wage and having to absorb Eftpos merchant fees.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Media Outreach

Founded in 1772, Osborne is an international food and beverage group with a portfolio of premium brands and a presence in over 70 countries, supported by production facilities across Spain. It owns and manages more than 30 brands across wines, spirits and gourmet products, including global labels such as Carlos I brandy, Nordés gin, Cinco Jotas ham and Bodegas Montecillo wines.

From distribution to product development

Through its wholly owned Octopus Distribution Networks, established in 2011, the Company has built a regional wholesale platform specialising in the import, distribution and marketing of beverages across Southeast Asia. Its portfolio spans both local and international brands with established provenance and heritage, supplying a customer base ranging from high-end cocktail bars to mass-market retailers.

Scalable platform for regional expansion

Octopus intends to replicate this model across future partnerships, combining distribution mandates and strategic investments, where appropriate, with product co-development to build a regional, brand-led platform.

https://www.octopusholdings.asia/
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https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=%2Fosborne_oficial&source=omni_redirect
https://www.youtube.com/user/SalaPrensaOsborne

Hashtag: #Octopus

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christopher Luxon says he’s happy to be labelled woke if it means New Zealanders are not losing their lives in the recent cyclone.

The Prime Minister held a briefing with reporters in Auckland on Monday afternoon, after Cyclone Vaianu’s course shifted away from Hawke’s Bay late on Sunday.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier, Hastings, and Central Hawke’s Bay councils declared local states of emergency for coastal areas before midday on Saturday, but Wairoa mayor Craig Little refused – saying “we’re becoming woke as a country when it comes to states of emergency”.

Luxon said states of emergency were not woke.

“No, they’re not. I love Craig, I’ve spent a lot of time with him given he’s had some major weather events in Wairoa over the last few years, and so I’ll happily wear a woke label this time if it means we didn’t lose anyone’s lives,” he said.

“This was a significant event with 10 local states of emergency actioned, and in a number of regions there were road closures, power outages and flooding.”

He said the government had worked “incredibly well” with Mayor Little in the past including supporting dredging at the harbour entrance, and “I’d sooner be prepared than talking to you about an event that we were underprepared for”.

He said the response got better “each time we have one of these severe weather events”.

“The joinup and the teamwork that we saw between local and central government, NIWA and civil defence, iwi and marae, rural support and first responders and emergency management is truly inspiring.”

The second iterations of Dunedin flooding and fires on the Port Hills had been much better handled than the first time around, but “sadly the same thing’s been happening with our weather events,” he said.

Luxon said it was incumbent on households to prepare for the worst.

“Think about an evacuation plan, make sure we have a container full of our key supplies, don’t go driving through floodwaters because that’s how we’ve been losing lives.

“I think New Zealanders are taking it more seriously, we’re getting better at responding, and that’s all good.”

He said he wanted to thank the New Zealanders who “heeded the call to take personal responsibility and actions to keep themselves and their family safe in this event”.

‘Adult to adult’: Fuel rationing plan to take weeks to finalise after business feedback

Luxon offered reassurance New Zealand had “sufficient” fuel after the latest official numbers from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, but it would take “a few more weeks” to finalise the phase 3 and phase 4 fuel prioritisations.

“One of the learnings out of Covid is we don’t want to do this to industry, we don’t want to be operating in a parent-child manner, we want to be operating in an adult-to-adult manner working with industry.

“And they have many of the solutions that we need in order to make sure that we could manage ourselves… if needed,” he said.

“We’ve just had the submissions come in, there’s 2000 of them, we have a series of forums and groups we’ve worked with from day one, we’ve worked with diesel users, we’ve worked with importers, we’ve worked with big key CEO groups and we need to digest all of that.”

While fuel stock numbers were slightly down on the previous update, it was within normal fluctuations, reflecting distribution around the country and “no material issues” with incoming shipments, he said.

“We also do welcome the ceasefire and we hope seriously for constructive negotiations between the parties involved to stop this conflict, but we have all seen how volatile and unpred this conflict has been and how fragile this ceasefire is and negotiations are.

“We continue to call for the Straits of Hormuz to be reopened. The longer shipping in the strait is disrupted, the more it impacts New Zealanders here at home… it is urgent to find a diplomatic solution.”

He refused to confirm further targeted support for those struggling with high fuel prices.

“Our prices at the pump are really set by global prices, as you’d understand… price of oil today is probably $20 lower than what it was just a week ago, we expect those prices to flow through within a week or two.

“Equally, those prices can go up or down very easily based off what’s happening with the conflict.”

Luxon repeated comments that New Zealand could not afford untargeted spending to cushion the blow for all New Zealanders after “reckless Covid spending” had “used up the rainy-day fund and maxed out the credit card”.

He said he thought the government had done well handling the fuel crisis.

“I think we’ve done a very good job. We already had an essential treaties agreement with Singapore for example … I’ve spoken with the Singaporean Prime Minister again but also the South Korean President as well where the vast majority of our supplies come from.

“Those refineries have been doing a good job of trying to find alternative feedstocks and that gives us great confidence and that’s why I say to you, I want to reassure New Zealand, that’s what you’ve seen, New Zealanders are reassured, they know that there is supply of fuel in the country and I think that’s because we’ve done some good work on it.”

Luxon batted away concerns about rising inflation, after ANZ’s prediction earlier in the day of three OCR hikes before the end of the year.

“By the ANZ’s own admission it’s pretty uncertain and there’s a lot of economists with a lot of views about where inflation will go and where economic growth will go… our job from day one as I’ve been saying has been to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of Covid.

“We want to be economically responsible economic managers so we actually protect the long-term economy for New Zealanders.”

India FTA talks with Labour ‘very constructive’

Top exporters represented by Business NZ have also signed an open letter calling for all political parties to back the India free trade agreement Luxon announced at the end of last year.

The deal had not been supported by New Zealand First, so support from the opposition will be needed to pass the related legislation.

Labour has not yet agreed, saying there were inconsistencies between National’s public statements about the deal and what the text of the agreement said.

Luxon said conversations with Labour about the deal were “very constructive and good”.

“It shouldn’t be about politics, I don’t think it is, we’re having constructive conversations with Labour – but [they should] get on board because it’s a bipartisan thing, trade.

“Very constructive and good conversations undertaken I think with a tremendous amount of goodwill, we’ve made our ministers and officials available to the Labour side in many meetings now, there’s been an exchange of letters and it’s just essentially alleviating their concerns… helping them understand why we think this is such a fantastic deal.”

He said India was the most populous country in the world and the deal would be looked back on in future as a good one.

“This is about benefiting regular everyday New Zealanders. One in four of them have their jobs tied to trade, in a crisis like we’re experiencing now you want to create more optionally so that our traders and our exporters have more markets to move product to.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 April 2026 – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will unite the global lifestyle industry with its seven lifestyle and licensing events from 27 to 30 April 2026. Encompassing gifts, houseware, fashion, printing, packaging, and licensing, these events offer buyers a streamlined and cross-sector sourcing journey. The Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and Home InStyle will be hosted at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where exhibitors will showcase curated international collection, enabling efficient and diverse sourcing across key lifestyle categories in one central location.

In 2026, the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair will spotlight four key focuses – personalisation, sustainability, health & wellness, and culture & creativity – guiding buyers to discover products that reflect the latest market trends and consumer preferences.

The fair will once again feature the highly acclaimed Hall of Fine Designs, a convergence point of reputed brands. First time exhibitors include Alpha Art Gifts LLC (United Arab Emirates), known for its unique and high-quality gift solutions; Crown Decor Pvt Ltd (India), a leading manufacturer for premium laminates. And the distinguished Hong Kong brands Camel and RedA will continue showcase their products at the fair. In addition, the Shanxi Pavilion will make its debut at the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair 2026. This year, the Zhejiang Pavilion, for the first time led by the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, will bring a large number of exhibitors. Meanwhile, the Korea Pavilion and Busan Pavilion will return with even greater presence.

Furthermore, the Hong Kong Exporters’ Association will assemble Hong Kong companies to form a pavilion, showcasing the design skills and branding excellence of Hong Kong’s product designers. The Smart Design Global, organised by Hong Kong Exporters’ Association, will also showcase shortlisted entries and signature products from its participating companies at the Gifts & Premium Fair, leveraging the fair as a platform to promote Hong Kong original designs to international markets.

Running concurrently, Home InStyle will focus on new materials, culture & creativity, and gerontechnology for silver‑age living, aligning with emerging lifestyle and consumer trends. The fair completes the sourcing journey by fostering meaningful connections and spark fresh inspiration across the design and lifestyle community.

A key highlight remains the signature Cultural and Creative Avenue, which will showcase distinguished designs from around the world and welcome international brands that blend unique design concepts with cultural heritage. The fair’s collaboration with Pantone will be elevated, with the Colour of the Year 2026 “Cloud Dancer” prominently featured in this zone. Through trend-focused displays and real-life applications, visitors will see the colour brought to life, helping buyers and exhibitors visualise its use in contemporary home and lifestyle products.

Furthermore, funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission, Home InStyle will launch the Gerontech and Innovative Material Pavilion, where nearly 20 local enterprises will present a wide range of innovative technology products and solutions designed for senior living, while highlighting the application of new materials in home spaces.

“Adding to the fair’s design-led highlights, the 2nd MOTIFX – Embracing the Beauty of Chinese Culture exhibition, organised by the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) under the Vocational Training Council (VTC) and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), invites emerging designers to reinterpret traditional Chinese elements for contemporary contexts. The project seamlessly integrating historical components into modern objects, interiors, and lifestyle products while deepening new generations’ engagement with their cultural heritage.”

Home InStyle will also host a selection of international brands known for their craftsmanship and creativity. Highlights include vibrant hand-blown Bohemian glassware, handmade baskets and bags woven from wild grapevines alongside classic bamboo steamers, and licensed DC Comics illuminated signs.

Throughout the fairs, a series of seminars and forums will bring together leading industry experts to share forward-looking insights on key trends and future developments, from creative thinking and the silver economy to sustainability and beyond. These sessions are crafted to foster meaningful dialogue and equip attendees with the latest market intelligence. As a comprehensive one-stop sourcing platform, the fairs unlock exciting business opportunities and deliver a diverse, world-class selection of lifestyle products and services tailored to every buyer’s needs.

Digital platform creates efficient exhibition experience
Under the EXHIBITION+ model, the fairs integrate offline and online elements. Buyers can continue searching for products and services on the hktdc.com Sourcing platform and network through the Click2Match smart business-matching platform. During the physical fair, buyers can use the Scan2Match function of the HKTDC Marketplace App to scan exhibitors’ exclusive QR codes, bookmark favourite suppliers, browse product information and continue discussions with exhibitors online during or after the show.

One stop registration for HKTDC trade fairs:
https://tinyurl.com/yc8jvdpp

https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkgiftspremiumfair/en

Hashtag: #HKTDC #GiftsFair #HongKong #TradeFair #Innovation #sustainable

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some of New Zealand’s top exporters and business associations have signed an open letter calling on all political parties to back New Zealand’s free trade agreement with India.

The letter described the FTA as a “strategic necessity” for New Zealand’s economic security, but New Zealand First has hit back at the signatories, saying their involvement is an “appalling commentary.”

The government confirmed negotiations had concluded with India in December, but New Zealand First withheld its support over immigration concerns.

It means the government needs Labour’s support to pass the deal through the House, but Labour is still to decide whether it will back the deal.

The open letter, organised by BusinessNZ, was signed by 28 exporters and industry associations, such as Federated Farmers, Zespri, Seafood New Zealand, and Beef and Lamb New Zealand.

The letter said trade was critical to New Zealand’s prosperity, and the FTA was the next significant step forward.

“In an increasingly uncertain global environment marked by rising protectionism, geopolitical tension, and supply chain disruption, New Zealand cannot afford to stand still. Securing better access to India will help build resilience, spread risk, and strengthen our economic position,” the letter said.

“An FTA with India is not a luxury; it is a strategic necessity for our economic security.”

BusinessNZ chief executive Katherine Rich said bipartisan support underpinned the strength of New Zealand’s trade.

“New Zealand relies on global markets to drive growth, support jobs and lift incomes,” she said.

“That only works when there is consistency and confidence in our trade settings. That’s why we’re making this call to all political parties today.”

The open letter refers to the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement to a number of sectors, including horticulture, sheep meat, seafood, wine, honey, wood products, seeds and natural fibres, machinery, digital technology and services.

ExportNZ, which sits within the BusinessNZ network, said the deal would be a “major win” for exporters and the wider economy.

Its executive director, Joshua Tan, told Midday Report the letter was aimed at all political parties, not just Labour or New Zealand First.

“We want to have trade seen as a bipartisan, non-political issue here. We think that all political parties need to sign this deal and agree to it,” he said.

“India is on track to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030. Securing fair access to a market the size of India’s backs our farmers, growers, manufacturers, innovators and service providers, as well as the communities that depend on them.”

Tan said the sooner the deal was in place, the better.

“If we are too slow, sectors can be left at a disadvantage to other deals that India… are completing. Namely, the EU deal, which offers better access to the wine exporters, for example,” he said.

“So if we do get this deal in force before that, then we also stand to benefit from the access that the EU has negotiated. That’s why speed is the key here.”

The Meat Industry Association was one of the signatories.

Its chair Nathan Guy told RNZ political parties had a long history of supporting free trade agreements together.

Guy said the deal would remove a 30 percent tariff for the sheep meat sector, and was also significant for wool, pharmaceuticals, and blood products.

“It’s a fantastic deal for our primary sector at a time where there’s geopolitical issues raging around the world, we need this deal more than ever,” he said.

“We’re calling on the government to sign the deal, and we’re calling on political parties to get behind and back it.”

“Signing a contract blindfolded” – Winston Peters

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the letter was a “breathtaking” position for BusinessNZ to take.

“How they and the 28 other businesses and associations could have signed up to support the India FTA without knowing what is in it is an appalling commentary on them all,” Peters posted on social media.

“How on earth can there be any sort of proper analysis of the FTA if they haven’t even read the agreement?”

Peters said his office had asked that question to BusinessNZ, but had not received a response.

“This is tantamount to those businesses signing a contract blindfolded,” he said.

“If it is true that this support for the FTA is not based on the actual text but instead relies on media reports and conflicting perspectives from different parties, it is a terrible indictment on how they operate.”

“Issues and inconsistencies” – Labour

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Labour had seen the open letter “from the businesses which would benefit from the trade agreement”, and it was important that any deal worked in the long-term interests of all New Zealanders.

Hipkins said Labour had been asking the government for a response to its concerns for almost two months, but the government was yet to provide the detail Labour had requested.

“There are issues and inconsistencies that still need to be clarified by the government to ensure any deal works in the long-term interest of New Zealanders,” Hipkins said.

“Once we’ve received the details and worked through all the advice, we will discuss as a caucus and make a decision about whether to support the legislation.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

• Services sector slump deepens
• All five sub-indices in retreat
• Negative comments leap higher
• BNZ says PSI “so poor, economy could soon be contracting”

New Zealand’s services sector has retreated for the third month in a row.

The BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index (PSI) fell 1.6 points to 46.0 in March, well below its long‑term average of 52.8.

A reading below 50 indicates the sector – which accounts for nearly three‑quarters of the economy – is contracting.

BusinessNZ chief executive Katherine Rich said the services sector was clearly feeling the effects of the conflict in Iran.

“The industries that deal mainly in discretionary spending – accommodation, cafes and restaurants, and cultural, recreational and personal services – have been especially impacted, and this is likely to reflect a lack of consumer confidence,” she said.

All five of the index’s sub‑indices were also in contraction.

Activity and sales were the weakest, sliding sharply to 44.6, followed by new orders and business at 45.7.

Stocks and inventories fell to 46.2, employment to 46.4, and supplier deliveries to 47.3.

The mood in the sector was reflected by the share of negative comments, which jumped from 56.4 percent in February, to 69.1 percent in March.

Unsurprisingly, many of the comments cited the effects of the Middle East conflict.

BNZ head of research Stephen Toplis said that, in the wake of the report, there was unlikely to be any real improvement in the labour market in the year ahead, and it was hard to imagine conditions improving quickly for many industries in the services sector.

Toplis said the PSI reading was so poor that the combined Performance of Manufacturing/Services (PMI/PSI) indicator was suggesting the economy could soon be contracting.

“While we are not forecasting a recession, these data support our recent decision to significantly downgrade our growth expectations for 2026.”

He described today’s PSI as “a dose of reality”, after Friday’s Manufacturing Index was surprisingly strong at 53.2.

“Some of this undoubtedly represents some initial fallout from the energy price shock, which we fear will grow in impact through April,” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Retail NZ wants an urgent government taskforce created to crack down on illicit tobacco before the problem reaches crisis levels like in Australia.

An RNZ investigation last month found black market cigarettes were being openly being sold in Auckland shops with huge discounts.

In a report released today, Retail NZ, which represents shop owners, called on a “immediate and rigourous crackdown on illicit tobacco.”

Chief executive Carolyn Young said in Australia the horse has bolted, with organised crime groups terrorising shop owners who did not cooperate.

“In Victoria there has been something like 200 fire bombs in the last year. What happens is that if you say you are not going to sell the illicit tobacco, they’ll firebomb your business, they’ll make threats to your family,” she said.

New Zealand needed to act before the black market trade took off here, she said.

There should be a multi-agency taskforce created, including the police, Customs and health, she said

Currently, the police, Customs and the Ministry of health worked separately to combat the problem and there were low-level penalties, she said.

“We are urging the Government to immediately establish a multi-agency Illicit Tobacco Task Force, increase penalties and have an independent roundtable consider a range of other measures, to ensure the illicit tobacco market is stamped out before it’s too late,” she said.

The illegal cigarettes were also able to skirt many of the measure aimed at decreasing tobacco use in New Zealand, such has packets with warning labels.

There was no way of knowing how much nicotine was in them, she said.

The illicit market was growing very quickly in New Zealand and that was why action was needed now, Ms Young said.

RNZ’s investigation found black market tobacco was sometimes being sold for less than half the price of the regulated product.

One retailer called it an “open secret.”

People caught selling illicit cigarettes, could face a six-month prison sentence, a $20,000 fine or both.

Importing cigarettes without paying the excise duty was illegal under Customs law.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

MIL OSI