Media release, 4 June 2025 Long-time trade advocate Stephen Jacobi will retire from the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) on 30 June...
Featured Articles

T Day has come
President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China has consequences for the whole world. Further such action may be in the pipeline. Read our initial assessment from Stephen Jacobi.

Back to the future?
It’s been a busy but tough year for trade. Read our end-of-year roundup by Executive Director Stephen Jacobi.

Reimagining the trans-Tasman relationship for two decades
Australia is our most important partner. This year the Australia NZ Leadership Forum celebrates 20 years. Our colleague Simon Le Quesne reflects on this milestone for the Trade Working Blog.
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NON TARIFF BARRIERS – “YOU ARE NOT ALONE”
Non- tariff barriers (NTBS) have a pernicious effect on trade. Sometimes it seems that just...

Doubling our exports with zeros…and ones!
Image credit: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay The development of written language in the ancient world...

To go or woe with the WTO?
We’ve been here before with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The global trade...

2023 – Steps forward and back
Trade liberalisation moved forward and backward in 2023. Some notable gains have been achieved...

Of APEC, CPTPP and IPEF
While New Zealand was sorting out its new Government, the alphabet soup which is trade got a good...

GUEST BLOG: Raewyn Bleakley, Chief Executive, New Zealand Food and Grocery Council
Exporting is an important part of the business of many NZFGC members whose brands we see daily on...

INDIA AND NEW ZEALAND: GETTING ONTO THE FRONT FOOT
Image Credit: Patrick Case, Pexels A 50 person business delegation is about to depart for...

CER CELEBRATES A RUBY ANNIVERSARY
The Australia-New Zealand Leadership, the semi-annual gathering of Ministers and business leaders,...

IN SINGAPORE, “M” STANDS FOR MULTILATERALISM
In another post from Singapore, Stephen Jacobi addresses questions of regional security. Since...
Latest News
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
Submission to MFAT by NZIBF on the proposed green economy join working group with Chile and Singapore
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
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 rules-based trade.
REMARKS TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE COMMITTEE – 20 FEBRUARY 2025
Stephen Jacobi presented to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee in support of the NZ/UAE Closer Economic Partnership. He emphasised the need for the Government to follow through on undertakings around paperless trade.
Submission by ExportNZ and TradeWorks to the Health Select Committee on the Gene Technology Bill
Submission by ExportNZ and TradeWorks to the Health Select Committee on the Gene Technology Bill
SUBMISSION TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE SELECT COMMITTEE
The NZ/UAE Closer Economic Partnership is before the Select Committee this week. Read NZIBF’s joint submission with ExportNZ.
SOUTHERN LINK REVISITED SEMINAR, SEPT 2024
On 24 September 2024 a stakeholders seminar was held in Auckland to reassess the Southern Link concept, five years after a large conference kickstarted focused discussion of the idea (before Covid intervened). This report of the seminar discussions...
T Day has come
President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China has consequences for the whole world. Further such action may be in the pipeline. Read our initial assessment from Stephen Jacobi.
Back to the future?
It’s been a busy but tough year for trade. Read our end-of-year roundup by Executive Director Stephen Jacobi.