About

An Auckland practice focused on market entry consulting for export-oriented businesses across food, specialty goods, and agri categories.

Why we exist

Too many export plans stop at a hopeful market list. We started Pacific Market Entry Partners to give New Zealand producers a disciplined way to choose markets, test channels, and understand the paperwork before containers and egos are both committed.

How we approach the work

We favour primary evidence: trade data, tariff schedules, store shelves, and conversations with people who already move goods in the category. We write in plain language so boards and production teams can act without decoding consulting jargon.

Values we hold to:

  • Specificity over slogans — recommendations name channels, towns, and document types
  • Honest limits — if a market is a poor fit, we say so early
  • Client ownership — you keep the relationships and the commercial decisions

People

Portrait of Amara Whitfield

Amara Whitfield

Practice lead. Former export manager for a Bay of Plenty grower-exporter; now focuses on market scoring and pathway design.

Portrait of James Okeke

James Okeke

Channel advisor. Runs distributor searches across Australia and ASEAN specialty grocery networks.

Portrait of Helen Rata

Helen Rata

Trade documentation specialist. Prepares compliance briefs and first-shipment checklists for food and cosmetic categories.

Auckland base

We meet clients at Level 9, 41 Victoria Street West, Auckland 1010, a short walk from the ferry terminals that still remind us how goods — and people — move across the Tasman and the Pacific.