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New Zealand

New Zealand is a party to a number of completed free trade and investment agreements. These are: the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Agreement (1983); the New Zealand-Singapore Closer Economic Partnership (2001); the New Zealand-Thailand Closer Economic Partnership (2005); the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership or P4 (2005); the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (2008), the Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand free trade agreement (2009), the New Zealand-Malaysia FTA (2009),an FTA with the GCC, (2009) and the New Zealand-Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership (2010).

A New Zealand-India deal has been mooted. New Zealand’s government has indicated that it wants FTAs with Korea and Taiwan

While talk of a US-New Zealand FTA was hotly resisted and never got off the ground, partly because of New Zealand’s anti-nuclear policy, the expansion of what was initially called the P4 agreement to include the US (the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement) threatens to bring important changes to New Zealand policies.

New Zealand has also signed a number of IPPAs (bilateral investment treaties) with Chile, Argentina, Hong Kong, China and others.

last update: May 2012
Photo: NZ Free Trade Watch / Facebook


Minister to complete final steps of UK trade deal negotiations
Trade Minister Damien O’Connor is setting off for a trade visit to Europe and the Middle East, with hopes to finalise the UK free trade agreement and to progress on a deal with the EU.
New US Ambassador to NZ Tom Udall has free trade agreement on his radar
The United States’ brand new Ambassador to New Zealand is making encouraging noises that a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US could finally happen.
New Zealand apple industry welcomes FTA with UK
In principle agreement to phase out tariffs on apple and pear exports welcomed by growers in New Zealand.
’We want an Aussie-style agreement’
What happens in the next six weeks will be critical for New Zealand to secure a free trade agreement with the UK, according to the executive director of the Dairy Companies Association.
Fears junk food regulation chilled by free trade agreements
Efforts to combat child obesity have fallen behind the pack as international free-trade agreements threaten to put a “chill” on junk food regulations, experts say.
Ag sector pushes for better UK trade deal
New Zealand dairy companies want a UK trade deal that comprehensively removes agricultural tariffs.
NZ and UK agree to lift pace of free trade talks
New Zealand and the United Kingdom have agreed to rapidly lift the tempo of talks, as the two countries enter a new phase in free trade negotiations.
A tale of two free trade negotiations
Despite a significant head start, a conclusion to the EU trade talks with New Zealand seems some way off while the UK is trumpeting its own progress.
Digital trade agreement signed with Chile and Singapore
New Zealand’s government has today signed a digital trade agreement with Chile and Singapore.
Trade deals are a handbrake on New Zealand’s post-Covid recovery
The ‘spend local’ mantra should apply to our biggest infrastructure projects too. Yet trade and investment agreements curb the government’s freedom to use procurement for a range of economic and social objectives.

    Links


  • New Zealand FTAs
    Government of NZ’ page on FTAs
  • Ngā Toki Whakarururanga
    Māori collective that aims to advance and protect Māori interests in the trade space.
  • Our World Is Not For Sale (New Zealand)
    The OUR WORLD IS NOT FOR SALE campaign was formed around building the protests at the September 2007 US-NZ Partnership Forum, the global justice campaign aims to build public support and organisation against the signing of any form of free trade agreement between the United States and New Zealand.