## Company Profile IATA New Zealand (IATA NZ) is the national office of the International Air Transport Association operating in New Zealand. As IATA’s local presence it represents and provides services to airlines, cargo operators and the wider air-cargo ecosystem in NZ: advocacy with government agencies, industry guidance and standards (safety, security, handling), training/events, and sector data/publications (cargo market analysis, directories such as Cargolink). The office is small in scale but highly influential: it convenes airline members, engages with Auckland Airport, NZ Customs and MPI on cargo operations and certification issues, and is a trusted industry interlocutor for exporters and freight-forwarders who rely on air services from AKL and other NZ airports. Evidence: IATA Cargolink directory listing for IATA New Zealand. ## Pain Points 1) Transition risk and exporter support gap from MPI’s Trade Certification migration (March 2026 for plant products; animal-product migration during 2026). Exporters and packhouses will need integration help, training and reliable delivery channels to avoid missed flights and certification delays — a risk for airlines and forwarders that handle premium perishables. 2) Peak-window capacity and rate pressure for premium perishables (early-season kiwifruit, salmon pre-Christmas/LNY peaks) — predictable but tight effective capacity on key lanes creates booking and scheduling headaches for airlines, forwarders and exporters; forwarders need predictable, converted cargo volumes to fill flights. 3) Rising compliance complexity for seafood/dairy (US MMPA, updated ICPRs) and potential new levies on low-value parcels — exporters need stronger traceability and pre-arrival documentation workflows; small D2C/sample shipments face cost pressures that could reduce air volumes. ## Intel Summary MULTI-DIMENSION RESEARCH 1. MARKET EVENTS – NEW ZEALAND AIR CARGO EXPORT TRENDS 2026 (DAIRY, KIWIFRUIT, SEAFOOD, SEASONALITY, AUCKLAND) - NZ export sector entered 2026 with record nominal export values to Dec-2025; MFAT Feb 2026 notes strong air cargo growth in early 2026. - Auckland Airport handled NZD 33.2 billion of combined exports and imports year to Sept-2025; AKL is a hub for time-sensitive food exports (fresh produce, chilled seafood). - Auckland case study: ~3,445 tonnes of NZ salmon via AKL in year to Sept-2025, ~2,300 t airfreighted to the US. AKL also handles high-value horticulture (avocados, cherries, blueberries) with similar handling profiles to early-season kiwifruit and premium lines. - Most dairy and kiwifruit move by sea, but air used for high-value or urgent consignments: early-season kiwifruit to Asia/North America, urgent dairy ingredients, luxury seafood to US and East Asia. - Seasonality: kiwifruit main window Mar-Nov by sea; air concentrated late Mar-Apr for early-season premiums. Seafood sees pre-Christmas and Lunar New Year peaks and ongoing weekly flows to US. - Operational: NZ Customs study shows 99.1% of air export entries cleared before departure, supporting fast export clearance for perishables. Implication: strong global air-cargo demand in 2026 causes competition for outbound space during peaks; air used tactically for early-season kiwifruit, urgent dairy, and high-margin seafood. Sources: MFAT Weekly Global Economic Report Feb 2026; Auckland Airport cargo article; NZ Customs cargo-clearance study; MPI PIER. 2. COMMODITY TRENDS – ASIA-PACIFIC AIR FREIGHT CAPACITY & RATES 2026 - IATA Jan 2026: global CTKs +5.6% YoY; Asia-Pacific airlines cargo demand +7.8% YoY. Feb 2026: global demand +11.2% YoY; Asia-Pacific +12.5% YoY. - Capacity (ACTK) expanded but demand outpaced capacity on several lanes; belly capacity recovery led expansion as passenger networks normalized. Freighter deployment disciplined. - Metro Global and forwarder updates: freighter capacity rose >15% WoW after year-end; capacity remained ~7% below mid-December peak. - Lane notes: Asia-Europe strong, transpacific improving but uneven; effective capacity tight in premium-perishable windows due to schedule alignment issues. - Rates: cargo yields softened in 2025 but early-2026 demand with constrained effective capacity, fuel costs and tight freighter supply support higher rates and longer booking lead times on many lanes. Implication: competition for space in peak weeks, higher base rates vs pre-COVID, seasonal spikes; importance of block-space and multi-hub strategies. Sources: IATA Jan & Feb 2026 reports; Metro Global; Crane; AirFreightPrice. 3. PROBLEM FRAMING – 2026 REGULATORY & PHYTOSANITARY CHANGES - MPI is replacing legacy export-certification systems with MPI Trade Certification. As of 2 Mar 2026 plant-product exporters migrated; animal-product/AP E-cert migration planned during 2026. MyMPI registration required. - Operational implications: end-to-end digital workflows should reduce manual handling and speed approvals, but near-term transition risks include integration, staff training and cut-over windows when legacy and new systems run in parallel. - MPI relies on ICPRs and the PIER database; ICPRs updated frequently and notified phytosanitary requirements (Oct 2025 doc) detail treatments/inspections relevant to kiwifruit and horticulture. - Animal products and seafood will move to unified MPI Trade Certification in 2026; exporters should expect updated e-cert formats and potential API or data-exchange requirements to enable pre-arrival risk assessment. - Cost-recovery proposals may raise certificate/inspection fees; NZ Customs levy changes for low-value consignments (public commentary in 2026) may raise per-parcel costs affecting D2C/small chilled shipments. - US seafood import rules (MMPA provisions effective 1 Jan 2026) increase documentation and admissibility checks; NZ seafood exporters to US need robust traceability and evidence of compliant fishing practices. Implication: mandatory migration to MPI Trade Certification is both an opportunity and near-term transition risk; exporters who integrate quickly and secure trusted-exporter status will reduce risk of missed flights and rejections. Digital-ready workflows and pre-lodgement are a competitive advantage for time-sensitive exports. Sources: MPI Trade Certification pages; MPI consultation docs; PIER; NZ Customs; Beehive.govt.nz announcement; IATA reports.