Engaging Maori Exporters into Asia

Te Taumata has been in discussions with the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Te Whītau Tūhono, on how the Foundation can support Māori exporters to thrive in Asia. The Foundation is New Zealand’s leading authority on Asia, which offers opportunities for New Zealanders to grow their confidence and awareness of the region. 

Taumata board members met with Executive Director Simon Draper and his team on 29 April and subsequently exchanged letters outlining potential areas of cooperation.

Simon shared that Foundation research commissioned in 2018 demonstrated that Māori have the edge when it comes to engagement with Asia. A survey of over 1400 Māori representing 80 iwi found that Māori see themselves as having shared cultural values with Asian peoples, regardless of how much knowledge they have of Asia or contact they have with people who identify as Asian.  Māori see particularly strong similarities around valuing kaumatua/elders; food customs; manaakitanga/hosting guests; and whanaungatanga/relationships.

Most Māori (eight out of 10) recorded positive feelings towards Asian peoples. And they were generally positive about the impact of New Zealand’s ties with Asia, feeling that Asian cultures and traditions will have a positive impact on New Zealand in the next couple of decades. The Foundation is committed to working with Māori to help strengthen this relationship.

Te Taumata and the Foundation agreed that trade and engagement with Asia will be crucial in helping Aotearoa recover economically in the post-Covid environment, and it will be particularly important for Māori exporters to play to the strength of their cultural affinity with Asia, including Asia business. 

The next step is to deliver a series of webinars featuring entrepreneurs and other business leaders from Asia who are adapting to the post-Covid economic environment, and who will share their learnings and real-time business intel with Taumata members.