June 2025 Introduction This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) and Export New Zealand (ExportNZ)....
Once Were Tariffs: NTBs and “Trade Agenda 2030”

The Government’s new trade strategy, “Trade Agenda 2030”, identifies addressing non-tariff barriers as one of the four major planks for New Zealand trade policy efforts in the coming decade. This is welcome: like a giant global game of Whack-a-Mole, non-tariff barriers are increasingly popping up in key markets as tariffs come down. The Government seems determined to rectify this with new resources to assist exporters facing difficulties.
Trade Agenda 2030 (TA2030) was driven by a recognition that the global trade environment has changed (see our blog on ‘A Trade Policy for Our Times’ here). Getting rid of tariffs remains a priority, of course, particularly for some sectors – but trade is not only (and in many cases not really) about tariffs any more: restrictions outside of tariffs are increasingly coming to dictate how well trade can flow.[1] NZIER has estimated that, in the APEC region, the cost for New Zealand exporters to comply with non-tariff measures was $5.9 billion a year.[2]
Non tariff measures may be costly but they are not necessarily bad – it’s when they are more trade restrictive than necessary that they become non tariff barriers. Examples of trade-restrictive non-tariff barriers (NTBs) include opaque or burdensome regulatory requirements; slow, costly or downright mind-numbing administrative processes, or even measures that are not based in relevant science or international norms. NTBs can erode margins and make exporting unpredictable; can reduce competitiveness and obstruct supply, and can be magnified along global value chains, making participation in value-adding less feasible. In short, NTBs risk eroding New Zealand’s economic potential and undermining any other market access improvements that TA2030 might deliver.
NTBs are clearly the new frontier for protectionism, and immediate action is needed both to tackle current NTBs and to put in place frameworks that seek to prevent new NTBs, including via trade agreements. In that connection, the APEC Business Advisory Council (in an initiative launched by ABAC New Zealand) has come up with a set of “cross-cutting principles” to help prevent the creation of new non-tariff barriers – these can be found here.
Business should be a key partner for Government in this area as business is best placed to identify the worst NTBs and to help to develop solutions. We welcome the creation of a one-stop shop for exporters via the Exporter HelpLine on the MFAT website as well as new resources for agencies to tackle NTBs.
Finally, TA2030 talks about non-tariff measures, but NZIBF prefers to draw a distinction between “non-tariff measures” and “non-tariff barriers”. As noted above some NTMs may have legitimate objectives (for example by helping to protect biosecurity or health and safety), but NTBs act as grit in the wheels, and should be addressed. We think that the distinction is a useful one.
This blog was prepared by Associate Director Stephanie Honey.
[1] In recent years the major G20 economies have introduced on average around 20 new non-tariff trade-restrictive measures each month. https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news16_e/trdev_09nov16_e.htm
[2] http://nzier.org.nz/static/media/filer_public/ac/2d/ac2d99f1-ac0f-4f53-86d3-e1d3d65e096a/wp2016-4_non-tariff_measures_in_apec.pdf
REGISTER WITH TRADE WORKS
Register to stay up to date with latest news, as well as saving and discussing articles you’re interested in.
Latest News
SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE AN OPEN PLURILATERAL ON NON-TARIFF BARRIERS
June 2025 Introduction This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) and Export New Zealand (ExportNZ). NZIBF is a multi-sector organisation representing larger export sectors and key business associations, with strong...
Felicity Roxburgh Appointed Executive Director of the New Zealand International Business Forum
Media Release - 25 June 2025 The New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Felicity Roxburgh as its new Executive Director. She will officially take up the role on 7 July 2025. Felicity brings nearly two decades of...
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGE AT NZ INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FORUM
Media release, 4 June 2025 Long-time trade advocate Stephen Jacobi will retire from the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) on 30 June 2025. “Stephen has made a major contribution to New Zealand’s economy and our trade interests through his articulate,...
ADDRESS TO THE 56TH ONE STOP UPDATE FOR THE ACCOUNTANT IN BUSINESS
CHRISTCHURCH AND AUCKLAND, MAY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GLOBAL MACRO-ECONOMIC AND TRADE UPDATE My thanks as always to Brightstar for the invitation to be with you today. As some of you will know I have been a serial attender at these events, normally...
2025 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Joint Statement
Jeju, Republic of Korea | 16 May 2025 Read the original post here 1.We, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT), met in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from 15-16 May 2025, under the chairmanship of H.E. Inkyo Cheong, Minister of...
REMARKS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT NZ RURAL AND PROVINCIAL SECTOR MEETING
2 MAY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IMPACT OF TRADE WARS ON NZ My thanks to Local Government NZ for the invitation to be with you today. As a resident of Napier I am all the more pleased to contribute to this rural and provincial sector meeting. Whether you...
SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE ON A COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH INDIA
April 2025 Introduction This submission is being made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF), whose members are listed at Annex A[1]. NZIBF is a group of senior business leaders working together to promote New Zealand’s engagement in the...
LAMENTATION DAY
When President Trump spoke in the White House Rose Garden to launch his wrecking-ball “fair and reciprocal tariffs”, there were some in the audience wearing hard hats. While this was doubtless to show support for the move amongst hard-working Americans, maybe...
BUSINESS FORUM DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED WITH UNJUSTIFIED US TARIFFS
Media release, 4 April 2025 The New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) has reacted with deep disappointment to the news that the United States will implement an additional 10 percent ad valorem tariff on New Zealand exports. “The United States is a close and...
Bull in a China Shop: Market Price Support in the Dairy Industry
Market price support policies (aka as “subsidies”) in the agriculture sector are a classic example of what is meant by 'beggar thy neighbour'. One country attempts to improve its own economic situation by intervening in the market on behalf of its producers, at the...
BUSINESS FORUM WELCOMES INDIA FTA NEGOTIATIONS
Media release, 17 March 2025 The NZ International Business Forum (NZIBF) welcomes the launch of free trade negotiations with India, announced in Delhi, and is particularly pleased that these will proceed on a comprehensive basis. “There is enormous value to be gained...
Playing the long trade game with India
Prime Minister Luxon is at last making his visit to India with a large business and community delegation. We wish them well in expanding and deepening the relationship with India. The reasons for doing so we have explained previously. Our Government’s...
SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
PROPOSED GREEN ECONOMY JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH CHILE AND SINGAPORE MARCH 2025 Introduction This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF), whose members are listed at Annex A[1]. NZIBF is a forum of senior business leaders...
PRESENTATION TO APEC BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL: ADDRESSING PROTECTIONISM AND NON TARIFF BARRIERS
BRISBANE, 24 FEBRUARY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZIBF My thanks to Anna Curzon and Stephanie Honey for giving me one last opportunity to speak to ABAC. I want to talk today about rising protectionism and proliferating non tariff barriers. It’s not a new...
Business Leaders Sound Alarm on Global Economic Uncertainty: Call for Unified APEC Action
Brisbane, Australia, 25 February 2025 - Among rising global economic tension, the APEC Business Advisory Council met in Brisbane this week to reaffirm its support for the value of trade and cooperation, and the original APEC commitment to free, fair, open and...
0 Comments