“While the New Zealand economy has gathered momentum over the last few years, it faces important challenges, including high private foreign liabilities, slowing demand from some trading partners, volatile international commodity prices, a strong exchange rate, and a highly-indebted farm sector. Moreover, New Zealand’s labour productivity and income per capita continue to lag behind OECD averages.” – WTO Secretariat Executive …

Fonterra Cooperative Group, which is looking to cut hundreds of jobs as part of a review aimed at stripping costs out of its business, says it has begun talks with workers in administrative roles such as finance, legal and information services. The world’s largest dairy exporter has hired business management consultant McKinsey & Co to assist in a review of its …

Kathmandu has urged shareholders to take no action on a full takeover offer from Briscoe Group pending the board’s response and has retained Goldman Sachs as an adviser.  Briscoe, the homewares and sports good retailer, yesterday offered 89.7 million of its own shares and $32.3 million cash for the 80.1 percent of the outdoor equipment and clothing chain it doesn’t already own. The …