Securing and learning from Chinese partners can smooth the path towards establishing a successful business in the world's second biggest economy, says John Cochrane, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's trade commissioner to Guangzhou.

Growth in the KiwiSaver scheme is being offset by declining funds in other investment vehicles, though New Zealand's still better placed than most to deal with a rising pension bill, according to Finance Minister Bill English.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully is considering promoting a law that would allow the Government to impose its own trade and economic sanctions on recalcitrant countries, but he says it is aimed at no one in particular.

If, as expected, Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard leaves the official cash rate on hold at 2.5 per cent tomorrow, it will probably be the right call, according to a panel of economists and business leaders set up by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

New Zealand home building consents rose last month, with the biggest increase in Canterbury, reflecting rebuilding efforts in Christchurch after the devastating earthquakes.

Importing $214 million of aircraft was enough to push the trade balance unexpectedly into the red last month.