Manufacturing continues to be in very good heart with the Performance Manufacturing Index telling us that manufacturing overall has been expanding now every month since October 2012, which is way better than any other part of the world where this is measured.

Procurement is a hot topic in the manufacturing sector, and we'll be putting out a special update on this area soon. In the meantime, the good news is that the Procurement Policy Team at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has listened to our gripes and are now consulting on how to improve panel contracting practices across government.

Innovation is a strong theme in manufacturing and is key for keeping a competitive edge.

As we move into 2017, the prospects for manufacturing remain very positive, as the expansion we saw in November remains at the same level throughout December.

Dumping products should not be allowed in the New Zealand market, says ManufacturingNZ.

As we near the end of the year, 2016 is shaping up as better than 2015 for the manufacturing sector, with the PMI remaining in a state of expansion each month.

Manufacturing is the unsung hero of the economy as the latest economic survey of manufacturing shows very strong growth.

Two big things to note in this spring issue of Manufacturing News. One is the information on how well manufacturing in New Zealand is doing...

New Zealand's positive growth story continues - GDP figures this week show the economy growing solidly. Even more positive is the role that manufacturing is playing in our good news story.

The latest research shows the strength of manufacturing inNew Zealand – earning $22 billion in real GDP, employing 250,000 New Zealanders and growing regional economies around New Zealand.  Manufacturing media weekly earnings are $959 per week, compared with the NZ economy as a whole - $882 per week. Manufacturing is expanding – and manufacturing is hiring.