New port boss eyes Tauranga container arm. .
Ports of Auckland's new managing director Jens Madsen dropped a bombshell in yesterday's annual result by announcing the port's interest in buying Port of Tauranga's container business. more

Auckland-Tauranga port merger back in play.
The power plays in the port sector took another twist today with Ports of Auckland revealing it has approached Port of Tauranga about buying its container business. more

Port's Tauranga bombshell seen as attempt to restart merger talks.
Interest by Ports of Auckland in buying the container business of rival Port of Tauranga is "kite-flying", says First NZ Capital. Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen made the surprise announcement during a meeting to release the company's full-year result on Wednesday. Previous merger talks between the ports failed last year. more

Shake-up essential for sector says Port of Tauranga chief.
. New Zealand's port system needs to be reorganised before the shipping industry decides the country is merely a stopover from Australia, says Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns. more

Port of Tauranga profits up - 25pc hike in container traffic.
Port of Tauranga has shrugged off global financial troubles by increasing trade and posting a record annual profit of more than $40 million - double the profits of its Auckland rival. more

Pacific Blue's Sydney flights.
Pacific Blue is expanding its activities out of Auckland, with the introduction of nine return flights a week to Sydney starting in October. The move comes a fortnight after the company said it would introduce services between Auckland and Melbourne next month. more

'Bloodbath' looms on Tasman crossing.
From early next year a new plane will make its big presence felt flying the Tasman, a route one carrier says could see commercial "carnage" for airlines. more

Primary sector tipped to save NZ.
A surge in agricultural export earnings will lift the New Zealand economy out of the recessionary doldrums over the next two years, according to latest forecasts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. more

Challenging year for NZ exporters - Dun & Bradstreet.
New Zealand exporters are facing a challenging year as global economic conditions deteriorate, says credit reporting agency Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). The impact of global inflationary pressures, declining US consumer demand and the re-pricing of credit were eroding business profit margins and making it more difficult to sell products to key trading nations. more

Kiwi giant aims to milk the China cash cow.
Fonterra China managing director Bob Major likes the dynamism, sheer rate of growth and the bold decisions people make in China. "The rest of the world is very static by comparison," he says. more

Kiwi will keep on falling: experts.
The New Zealand dollar closed below US70c for the first time in 11 months last night and with more Reserve Bank rate cuts on the way there is little to stop it falling further, currency watchers say. more

Fran O'Sullivan: Counting the Olympic costs.
China looks poised to bust records and score the most gold medals at the 29th Olympiad. But all the signs are it will be left nursing a sharp "economic hangover" as the Chinese economy adjusts to the weeks of lost production enforced by authorities trying to bring pollution down to "acceptable" levels for the Olympic athletes. more

Bledisloe to benefit from VBS too.
The Vehicle Booking System (VBS) will be introduced at the Bledisloe container terminal on 8 September, just a month before the successful system celebrates its first birthday at Auckland’s Fergusson container terminal. more

ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA) update.
Following the 23–25 Singapore negotiating group meeting between the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia and New Zealand (AANZFTA), a credible deal is now within reach. more

The APEC Business Travel Card.
Time is precious when you travel overseas for business, so why wait around in queues? The APEC Business Travel Card provides accredited business people with streamlined access to participating APEC countries. more