The deep water export port at Shakespeare Bay, Port Picton, was opened in April 2000. The development of Shakespeare Bay reflects the growth in forestry cargo coming available within the region and the need for storage and shipping facilities.

The 200 metre wharf has a depth alongside of 15.3 metres at low tide, the deepest export berth in New Zealand. The quayside storage of 10 hectares of flat, open land adjacent to the berth can be accessed by road, rail and cargo shipping.

At present only logs are exported from Picton, with all sawn timber exports going through Port Nelson, approximately 1.5 hours by road from Blenheim. Sawn timber exports and possibly chip export facilities are likely to be developed in the near future.

In 2009, 46% of log exports went to Korea, 54% to India.

Nelson Forest Ltd is the major log exporter in the Nelson/Marlborough region, with a strong established customer base in Korea and China.

A log export business, Zindia Ltd, which specialises in India log exports to India, has been developed by local forest owners Rick Osborne and Jacob Mannothra.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry