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  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

See also
US-NZ talks 'outstanding success' but no FTA move
24-Apr-2006    
The first ever US-NZ Partnership Forum, has been described as an "outstanding success" by its organizers, and will be repeated in New Zealand in 2007.
Nuke policy still an issue in US trade talks - Brash
24-Apr-2006     stuff
New Zealand National Party leader Don Brash said it was "fairly clear" that some members of the US Administration felt there was no prospect of an FTA unless there was some change in New Zealand's anti-nuclear position.
NZ-Korea free trade deal some time away
22-Apr-2006     stuff
New Zealand and Korea's $2 billion two-way trade could be in danger of stagnating if New Zealand is shut out of future free trade agreements. However, it appears there is "little political will" in Korea to enter formal negotiations with New Zealand.
Gulf states next FTA goal
19-Apr-2006     newswire.co.nz
New Zealand is to forge ahead with trying to secure a free trade deal with Gulf states.
Tariff timetables may get complicated
10-Apr-2006    
New Zealand will probably end up dealing with 10 schedules for the gradual phase-out of tariffs, one for each of the Asean countries.
Goff calls prospect of Asia FTA 'interesting'
10-Apr-2006    
Japan's proposed Asian regional free trade agreement got tepid support today from Trade Minister Phil Goff, who told the Gateway to Asean Summit in Auckland that the plan was "consistent" with other activities already well underway.
Pressure builds to seal trade deals
9-Apr-2006    
New Zealand could be sidelined from trading with some of the world's fastest-growing economies if it fails to push ahead with a network of Asian free trade deals, Associate Minister for Trade Negotiations Jim Sutton says.
Former PMs aim for closer US-NZ links
3-Apr-2006    
A delegation of New Zealand political and business leaders is heading for the United States to forge closer links between the countries, despite fading hopes of a free trade deal in the short term.
NZ to seek FTA talks with Arab countries
28-Mar-2006    
New Zealand is to seek negotiations on a free trade agreement with a trade bloc of oil rich Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia.
US senators want Bush to back NZ trade deal
15-Mar-2006    
Two United States senators have written to President George Bush to encourage him to start free trade talks with New Zealand.

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...