- Negotiations
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
22-Mar-2007
Prime Minister Helen Clark has placed a free-trade deal near the top of the agenda for her meeting with President George W. Bush today, after receiving encouraging signals in Washington.
19-Mar-2007
National is stepping up pressure on Prime Minister Helen Clark to elevate a trade deal to the top of her talks with United States President George Bush as Washington refuses to offer any hope of a breakthrough soon.
18-Mar-2007
Trade Minister Phil Goff leaves for Mexico this morning to push for a trade deal that could boost exports to New Zealand’s fourth largest market dairy market.
18-Mar-2007
New Zealand faces several barriers to getting a free trade deal with the United States, Prime Minister Helen Clark says.
17-Mar-2007
Helen Clark needs to muscle up to George Bush this week and directly push the case for a bilateral free trade deal with the United States.
13-Dec-2006
Epoch Times
New Zealand’s rush for Asia-Pacific free trade agreements was slowed by a typhoon in the Phillipines, but sped up through a partnership agreement with the Republic of Korea.
1-Nov-2006
Scoop
The New Zealand Pacific Business Council (NZPBC) welcomes news that the US has now decided to discuss prospects for a Free Trade agreement with NZ.
25-Oct-2006
News Talk
A US-New Zealand free trade agreement is still on the cards according to US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill.
10-Oct-2006
Scoop
New Zealand’s case for a free trade agreement with the United States is the subject of an article in the latest edition of the New Zealand Magazine which is distributed primarily in the United States as well as in New Zealand.
8-Sep-2006
Foreign Ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have agreed to commence negotiations for a free trade agreement with New Zealand, Trade Minister, Phil Goff announced today.
Links
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Government of NZ’ page on FTAs
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Māori collective that aims to advance and protect Māori interests in the trade space.
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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.