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


NZ closer to Middle East trade deal
Plans to further relations between New Zealand and the Middle East are on track and a trade agreement looks close to being finalised next year, one business expert says.
Trade talks with India on hold
The start of free trade talks between New Zealand and India has been delayed following a change in India's commerce minister since elections in May.
NZ, M'sia agree FTA
New Zealand and Malaysia have agreed a free trade agreement, New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said on Tuesday.
Kiwis say no to free trade agreement with US
Two hoary old myths are peddled as a means to get NZ out of its particular corner of the global economic crisis -- that the economy needs to be opened up even more to foreign investors, by means of liberalising, yet again, the Overseas Investment Act; and that a Free Trade Agreement with the US is the Holy Grail of the numerous trade deals that the Government is currently pursuing. The Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) says “no” to both and we are not alone.
NZ, EU to explore bilateral agreement
New Zealand and the European Union are exploring the benefits of a comprehensive bilateral agreement covering political, security and economic areas, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.
NZ-Hong Kong free trade talks resume
Trade talks with Hong Kong resume in Wellington this week and Trade Minister Tim Groser says he's hoping for positive steps forward.
Trade deal still on table
A Trans-Pacific trade deal opening the door to freer trade with the United States is in the balance after top-level meetings in Washington.
Trade agreement 'big deal' for beef producers
Meat & Wool New Zealand describes the prospect of a free trade agreement between New Zealand and South Korea as a "big deal" for domestic beef producers.
Koreans keep the free trade ball rolling
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak put on an impressive show in Auckland yesterday as he talked tough about the necessity for world leaders not to fall prey to anti-protectionist forces.
India & NZ to enter free trade talks
NZ trade minister Tim Groser and his Indian counterpart Kamal Nath announced on Saturday that our respective governments are to negotiate a free trade agreement, with negotiations due to begin later this year.

Referenced sites

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 aim...