bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo
  1. Negotiations

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

New Zealand, Gulf states renew efforts to seal free trade pact
29-Sep-2016 Reuters
New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council will work to get a stalled free trade pact back on track after trade ministers from the Pacific nation and Saudi Arabia agreed to deepen trade ties.
Trade ministry defends Saudi sheep farm
19-Feb-2016 Otago
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is defending a controversial sheep farm in Saudi Arabia, saying that the project has helped nudge New Zealand closer to a free trade deal with the Gulf states.
New Zealand minerals sector could benefit from planned EU trade deal
16-Nov-2015 Indmin
The free trade agreement currently in discussion could benefit a number of mineral producers in New Zealand.
New Zealand lawmakers approve S Korea FTA
29-Sep-2015 Tax News
New Zealand’s Parliament approved the Tariff (Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea) Amendment Bill on September 24, 2015.
Free trade deal with EU the next in line
6-Jul-2015 Radio New Zealand
With the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement still a work in progress, New Zealand negotiators have their eye on the next target as well — a free trade deal with the European Union.
Saudi sheep farm sparks "bribery" calls in New Zealand Parliament
28-May-2015 Xinhua
New Zealand’s Auditor General has been asked to investigate government spending of 11 million NZ dollars (US$7.96m) on a sheep farm in Saudi Arabia in what has been labeled a bribe to secure a free trade agreement with the Arab Gulf states.
NZ hands tied on foreign home buyers under Korea FTA "bungle"
25-May-2015
South Korea-based buyers may have open access to New Zealand’s housing market assured under a new trade deal, prompting warnings it could undermine New Zealand’s sovereignty.
New Zealand next cab off the rank to close Gulf states FTA - Key
4-May-2015 National Business Review
Most of the Gulf states are positive about signing off on a NZ-GCC deal, although Saudi Arabia is a little more cautious, PM Key says.
G20: NZ, South Korea sign free-trade agreement
16-Nov-2014
New Zealand and South Korea have concluded a free-trade agreement that’s expected to cut into export tariffs in the nation’s sixth-largest export market that currently run to about $230 million a year.
Free trade agreement with the EU on the horizon
14-Nov-2014 ONE News
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is in favour of a free trade agreement between New Zealand and the European Union.

    Links

  • New Zealand FTAs
    Government of NZ’ page on FTAs
  • 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.