US BUSINESS SUMMIT 2025

AMERICA’S NEW PLAYBOOK

★★★★

Wednesday 3 December 2025

The 2025 US Business Summit comes at a critical moment for New Zealand–United States relations. With President Trump’s second term reshaping global trade and foreign policy priorities, New Zealand businesses are navigating new headwinds.

Despite challenges, the United States remains New Zealand’s second-largest export market, with two-way trade reaching NZ$30.3 billion this year. Services exports are approaching parity with goods, underscoring the US’s role as a critical partner in investment, innovation, and high-value tourism.

This year’s Summit will bring together business leaders, policymakers, diplomats and thought leaders to explore strategies for navigating turbulence while seizing opportunities in tech, investment, education, aerospace and agribusiness. It is the premier forum to debate, connect, and be informed on the future of this vital relationship.

Featuring

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister

Rosemary Banks
Former New Zealand Ambassador to the US

Dame Therese Walsh
Air New Zealand Chair

Craig Piggott
Halter Founder

Sarah Robb O’Hagan
Business leader and author

View from the Top
Leaders from Air New Zealand, the University of Auckland, Zespri, MPI and Kea Aerospace reveal how they’re recalibrating US strategies – navigating a more complex landscape through partnerships, technology and on-the-ground insight.
Navigating Trump’s America
Professor Dan Schnur breaks down President Trump’s second term and what it means for politics, trade and security. He’s joined by Ambassador Rosemary Banks and AmCham Australia CEO April Palmerlee.
Trade and Turbulence
With US tariffs on New Zealand exports now at 15%, Vangelis Vitalis, Simon Tucker and Sarah Salmond explore how exporters can respond – from protectionism and diversification to reshaping New Zealand’s position in a shifting global system.
Building a Unicorn
Facebook Marketplace builder Bowen Pan and Halter CEO Craig Piggott share the realities of scaling globally – the mindset, hussle, and cultural translation required to win in the US market.
The Business Pulse check
Kiwi entrepreneur Claudia Batten and Sarah Robb O’Hagan deliver a high-energy conversation on leadership, AI adaptation and navigating volatility, drawing on two decades of top-tier US business experience.
Delivering the High-Growth Dividend
MOD O’Donnell talks strategy and execution with Auror’s Phil Thomson and Serato’s Young Ly – unpacking what powers high-growth Kiwi companies in the US and beyond.

NAVIGATING NEW CHALLENGES

The US New Zealand–United States partnership is being tested. In April the United States introduced a 10% base tariff on New Zealand exports, raised to 15% in August, targeting countries trade surpluses. For New Zealand, with a modest surplus of around US$500 million, this creates a significant challenge and highlights the need for clear strategies to safeguard and strengthen our economic ties.

This year’s Summit will focus on navigating the new trade environment where exporters are under pressure, and advancing the case for rules-based, reciprocal market access. Delegates will also hear the latest trade updates and diversification pathways amidst rising competition and regulatory change.

Beyond tariffs, businesses face a more complex policy landscape. Since returning to power in January, President Trump has issued over 200 Executive Orders across immigration, climate and trade that is reshaping global conditions with unusual speed and impact.

AN EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP

The tone in business and diplomatic circles remains pragmatic. Both sides recognise the enduring value of the partnership which now extends

The Summit will examine how to balance challenge with opportunity, particularly in growth sectors such as tech, agribusiness, space and defence. These remain bright spots for bilateral cooperation, offering avenues to deepen connections beyond traditional trade.

Participants will also look ahead to long-term global shifts – from the rise of industrial policy and defence self-sufficiency to the pivot from geopolitics to geoeconomics – trends that will shape the landscape well beyond the Trump presidency.

As global geopolitics continue to shift, the Summit provides a timely opportunity for New Zealand to recalibrate its approach, protect its interests, and expand cooperation with the United States to secure long-term prosperity.

AGENDA

6.30AM – REGISTRATION

7.10AM – CALL TO ORDER
MC: Tim McCready

7.14AM – WELCOME TO THE 4th UNITED STATES BUSINESS SUMMIT
Summit Co-Chair: Fran O’Sullivan, Managing Director, NZINC.

7.17AM – PRIME MINISTER’S OPENING ADDRESS AND Q&A
Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Prime Minister Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon will open the United States Business Summit sharing insights into the strategies the Government is leading to strengthen New Zealand’s relationship with the U.S. He will also share moves his Government is leading to deepen relationships with U.S. investors to drive domestic economic growth.
The Prime Minister recently returned from APEC where he met President Donald Trump. His insights into the evolving bilateral relationship, which key Cabinet Ministers across foreign affairs, trade, defence and security and investment are forging, will be instructive.
Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Summit Co-Chair

7. 50AM – CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES DAVID GEHRENBECK
The U.S. Representative will reflect on the enduring partnership between the United States and New Zealand.

8.00AM – VIEW FROM THE TOP
Business leaders from New Zealand’s leading companies are recalibrating their U.S strategies. In this conversation they will share how they’re navigating a U.S. business environment made more complex by Trump Administration policies; leveraging valuable partnerships and ground-breaking technologies.
• Dame Therese Walsh, Chair, Air New Zealand
• Nathan Flowerday, Chair, Zespri
• Professor Dawn Freshwater, Vice-Chancellor, University of Auckland
• Ray Smith, CEO Ministry for Primary Industries
• Mark Rocket, CEO, Kea Aerospace
Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Summit Co-Chair

8.50AM – HON TODD MCCLAY TALKS INVESTMENT AND TRADE
Fireside chat with Hon Simon Bridges, Summit co-chair and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber.

9.10AM – KEYNOTE SESSION: NAVIGATING TRUMP’S AMERICA
U.S. political analyst Professor Dan Schnur unpacks President Trump’s second term and its impact on politics, trade, and security. He will be joined by Ambassador Rosemary Banks who recently returned from representing New Zealand in Washington DC, and April Palmerlee, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia and a former senior executive at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York.
Professor Schnur will be introduced by James Waite, a senior official at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs with strong professional experience in North America
Session Chair: Hon Simon Bridges, Summit Co-chair. Simon is a former National Cabinet Minister, party leader and foreign affairs spokesperson.

10.00AM – IN THE WORLD OF PRESIDENT TRUMP WHAT DOES THE NEW TRADING ORDER LOOK LIKE FOR NEW ZEALAND?
Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Secretary at the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator for multiple FTAs, presents three thought-provoking scenarios.

10.15AM – MORNING TEA

10.45AM – KEYNOTE: LEADING YOUR WAY TO THE FUTURE
Claudia Batten talks leadership with Sarah Robb O’Hagan with a focus on how to support your workforce to adapt to the potential of AI and the always-on volatility of the modern business environment. Sarah has built her career in the U.S .over two decades, famously transforming Gatorade as President of that division of Pepsi and more recently at Equinox, and, as CEO of Exos, the human performance coaching company. She is a published author, a speaker and also sits on the board of JetBlue. Claudia spent 20 years living, working and building businesses in the U.S recently returning to New Zealand where she sits on various NZX and ASX boards. They are both deeply curious and excited about supporting human potential.

11.15AM – WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN BIG – ESPECIALLY IN THE U.S.
Bowen Pan who recently returned to New Zealand bringing with him the lessons of successfully launching Facebook Marketplace will share the stage with Craig Piggott who is the co-founder and CEO of Halter,
In this fireside chat, Bowen and Craig will explore the key traits of global winners: ruthlessness, focus and a results-driven approach regardless of cultural background. They will share on the ground experiences of building and translating ambitious culture across markets.
Moderator: Tim McCready, Summit MC

11.45AM – DELIVERING THE HIGH-GROWTH DIVIDEND
Seasoned businessman and investor Michael O’Donnell will talk strategy and execution with the leaders of three high-growth Kiwi companies – Auror’s Phil Thomson, Serato’s Young Ly and Alliv Samson from Kami who with her co-founder Hengjie Wang was recently awarded Entrepreneur of the Year.
In this dynamic, insightful and well-timed discussion, our three entrepreneurs will share lessons learned, business strategies, and what it really takes to thrive in today’s ever evolving landscape within the United States.
Moderator: Michael O’Donnell, North American Regional Director for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

12.30PM – LUNCH & NETWORKING

1.30PM – INTERVIEW: AUTHOR PETER GRIFFIN ON THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF ROCKET LAB
Paul Spain talks with author Peter Griffin as they take us inside the inspiring journey of Rocket Lab, the pioneering aerospace company founded by Kiwi Sir Peter Beck. From humble beginnings in a garage to becoming a global leader in space technology, this is the ultimate story of innovation and ambition from the early days raising venture capital to the historic launch of Electron, the small orbital rocket. They will consider how Rocket Lab has successfully leveraged the U.S.-NZ relationship in a sector that’s hard to collaborate in across national boundaries,
There will be audience Q&A.
Moderator: Paul Spain is a technologist, business and technology commentator and futurist at Gorilla Technology.

2.00PM – TRADE AND TARIFF TURBULENCE
The President’s ‘Liberation Day’ resulted in exports from New Zealand being hammered with a 10% tariff; in August this was raised to 15% then wiped altogether for some sectors.
Fonterra Group Director of Global Affairs Simon Tucker, MinterEllisonRuddWatts partner Sarah Salmond and Meat Industry Association CEO Sirma Karapeeva will join former Trade Minister Hon Damien O’Connor and delve into how exporters can navigate this turbulent environment. And what lies ahead.
Moderator: Stephanie Honey, Trade Adviser and Strategist, Honey Consulting.

2.45PM – AFTERNOON TEA

3.00PM – SETTING UP BUSINESS – THE U.S. CAN HELP
The United States is the world’s top destination for foreign direct investment — but how do New Zealand firms get started?
Antje Abshoff from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership joins Mike Hearn from AmCham NZ to outline how state programmes alongside SelectUSA can support Kiwi firms to get started in America. They will be joined by Melissa Hill from the U.S Commercial Service, Ada Echetebu from Norris Echetebu Law, and Sander Stork from ABB which has a manufacturing plant in Richmond, Virginia.

3.40PM – TAPPING U.S. INVESTMENT – OPPORTUNITIES FOR MĀORI AND PASIFIKA
Labour’s Finance spokesperson Hon Barbara Edmonds joined the Speaker’s Parliamentary tour to New York and Washington DC earlier this year. She is ideally placed to explore opportunities with Rauawa chair June McCabe for Māori and Pasifika businesses to access North American capital markets. They will assess the success of the inaugural Ōhanga ki te Ao Māori Economic Summit and what comes next.

Moderator: Fran O’Sullivan, Summit Co-Chair.

4.00PM – SUMMIT SUMMARY
Summit Chair: Simon Bridges & Fiona Cooper, Executive Director, New Zealand United States Council

4.10PM – PRIZE DRAW & SUMMIT CLOSE
Prize Draw courtesy of Air New Zealand, Silver Fern Farms and HarperCollins.
• Grace Hogan, Summit Event Director
• Sam Winstanley, Senior Manager, Corporate & Government Sales, Air New Zealand
• Tim McCready, Summit MC

4.15PM – SUMMIT CLOSE & NETWORKING DRINKS
Our Land Bar, Cordis