## Company Profile Fliway Transport Limited — New Zealand freight forwarder and 3PL with national operations. Contact on record (Steven Bradshaw, National Operations Manager). Offers international sea and air forwarding plus domestic transport and warehousing for exporters and importers. Typical clients include horticulture exporters (kiwifruit, apples, chilled produce), SMEs needing end-to-end export services, and businesses requiring national pick-up and port connections. Operates regionally across NZ with port linkages (Auckland, Tauranga, Lyttelton, Christchurch). ## Pain Points 1) Seasonal peak pressure on refrigerated trucking and reefer container availability during the 2025/26 kiwifruit and apple season — risk of missed vessel cutoffs, rolled sailings, spot-rate spikes and quality deterioration for time-sensitive exporters. 2) Inland driver shortages and fragile regional road networks creating pickup unreliability for SMEs and adding operational complexity for Fliway (need for earlier bookings, consolidation, and contingency routing). 3) Volatile sea/air schedules and re-routing (Panama for Europe) tightening effective capacity on NZ–Asia lanes; smaller exporters lack scale to secure multi-carrier or block space, increasing pressure on their forwarders to find alternatives. ## Intel Summary MARKET EVENTS — New Zealand export horticulture (kiwifruit & apples) 2025/26 - NZ horticulture export revenue was about NZ$6.1 billion in the year to March 2025, up ~28-33% y/y, and is projected to grow again in 2025/26, with kiwifruit and apples as key drivers. Horticulture accounted for ~7.6% of total NZ exports in 2025. - Kiwifruit: USDA/FAS (Mar 2026) reports NZ kiwifruit exports in MY 2024/25 reached ~767,600 tonnes (up 44% y/y). MY 2025/26 is forecast ~780,000–800,000 tonnes. Kiwifruit export earnings were about NZ$4.5 billion FOB in MY 2024/25. Destination shares: EU ~32%, China ~27%, Japan ~14%; Asia overall likely close to half once other Asian markets are included. - Zespri 2025/26 results: global operating revenue NZ$6.13 billion; NZ-grown fruit & service payments NZ$3.56 billion. Zespri forecasts ~200 million trays for 2025/26, another record crop. - Apples: Fruit exports surpassed NZ$6 billion for the year to Nov 2025; kiwifruit and apples made up over 90% of total fruit export value. China is now the leading destination for NZ apples (over a quarter of apple export value). Apple & pear export revenue in 2025 is up >25% y/y. Logistics patterns affecting Asia-bound fruit - Zespri reported Middle East/Red Sea disruptions for 2025/26; Europe-bound shipments are being routed via the Panama Canal instead of Suez/Red Sea, adding transit days and costs. These reroutings absorb vessel days and tighten global container and reefer availability, indirectly affecting NZ–Asia legs during NZ peak season (April–July). - DHL and S&P Global 2026 outlooks: ongoing port congestion, schedule unreliability and capacity swings remain structural. Exporters are advised to use multi-carrier strategies, earlier booking and diversified routings (including Australian trans-shipment hubs) to manage volatility. - Horticulture NZ notes momentum from new market-access agreements (e.g., NZ–India FTA) and growers investing in export-readiness and compliance. PROBLEM FRAMING — NZ inland freight capacity and effects on perishables (2026) - Driver shortages and tight domestic transport capacity continue to be cited as a top supply-chain risk for exporters. Ageing driver workforces and turnover limit reliable truck availability, especially during peak harvest months (Mar–Jun). - Inland spine for kiwifruit/apples: orchard -> packhouse/coolstore (Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Otago) -> truck to Port of Tauranga, Napier, Nelson, Lyttelton, or Auckland. - Seasonal compression: record crops create short intense peaks where trucking demand from coolstores to port can jump 30–40% above off-peak baselines for several weeks. - Limited pool of refrigerated trucks/trailers; smaller exporters struggle to secure trucks at short notice and pay rate premiums during peak. Road network vulnerabilities (weather and previous cyclone damage) increase transit-time variability. - Effects on exporters: strict temperature and time-in-transit specs mean trucking delays erode cool-chain margins. Exporters need to book trucks earlier, pre-position fruit closer to ports, or consolidate via 3PLs. Airfreight shipments are vulnerable where road delays force re-booking and cause price decay in destination markets. - Financial impacts: inland freight line items have increased (high-teens percent vs pre-2020 baselines). Buyers and suppliers are shifting risk via contract terms (CIF/DDP vs FOB). Strategic responses include earlier season planning, modal diversification (coastal shipping + short-haul trucking), collaborative logistics (shared-fleet) and digital TMS/visibility adoption. DEMAND SIGNALS — Auckland & Christchurch air/sea trends 2025–26 - Global container rates softened from 2022 peaks but remain volatile; port congestion and geopolitical routing risks (Red Sea) limit effective capacity. Reef demand for Asia-bound services from Tauranga and Napier is very tight during peak (fruit exports up 27% in H1 2025 to NZ$2.96 billion). - Airfreight: rates have fallen from 2021–22 highs but remain above pre-COVID levels for temperature-controlled and express products. Passenger flight resumption improved capacity on Auckland–Asia routes but peak-season surcharges and space constraints re-emerge during export peaks. - Cargo re-routing & port choices: Europe rerouting via Panama ties up vessel capacity; exporters are shifting containers from congested main ports (Auckland) to Tauranga, Napier and Lyttelton, then using coastal services or direct calls to Asia. For some exporters, Port of Tauranga is preferred over Auckland for reefer capacity but this lengthens inland hauls and stresses trucking. - Capacity bottlenecks: periodic shortages of empty reefer equipment at inland depots and regional ports; bunching of vessel calls shortens cargo cutoff windows increasing risk of missed sailings and rolled shipments. Air capacity pinch-points occur during cherry peak (Dec–Jan) and promotional windows. KEY IMPLICATIONS FOR A NZ FORWARDER - 2025/26 shows upside volume risk (near-record kiwifruit; strong apple recovery) while logistics capacity in NZ and on NZ–Asia lanes is the binding constraint. Forwarders must help clients secure priority reefer and air capacity early, offer multi-port and multi-carrier options, and provide consolidated/reliable inland pickup solutions to protect quality and arrival timing in Asia. SOURCES: MFAT, USDA/FAS, Zespri reports, Stats NZ, MPI SOPI Dec 2025, Fructidor, Fruitnet, S&P Global freight outlook 2026, DHL NZ logistics guidance 2026, Horticulture NZ.