How New Zealand businesses are navigating global trade tensions

With global trade tensions, rising oil prices, and supply chain uncertainty impacting every business, one question keeps coming up: How are NZ businesses responding right now?

So we ran an NZ Business Pulse Check in early April to find out how businesses are navigating current global trade tensions and broader economic challenges – and the results are in!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their perspectives. We heard from 100+ NZ business leaders across a diverse mix of industries (including professional services, construction, manufacturing, transport, retail, healthcare, education, not-for-profit organisations and more), and some clear themes stood out:

• 78% of NZ businesses report being impacted by recent global events, with the degree of impact varying by sector.
• What started as a more positive outlook for 2026 has shifted in a relatively short period, with businesses moving from optimism to a more neutral stance – driven by economic conditions, cost pressures, global trade tensions, and changing customer demands.
• Businesses are adapting in different ways to navigate the impact of global events and an increasingly unpredictable environment.

Read the full report here >

Download the NZ Business Pulse Report

We hope these insights give you a clearer view of the current business environment and help you plan ahead with more confidence.

If you’d like to talk through anything in this report, or chat about what we’re seeing on the ground, please reach out any time: info@consultrecruitment.co.nz