April 2025 Introduction This submission is being made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF), whose members are listed at...
Here you will find information about trade and investment and why these are important for New Zealand. You can find out more about NZIBF, our members, governance and projects and what we are saying about current issues. You can also read up about the work of ABAC and its New Zealand members.
Trade is the life blood of our economy, in normal times and times of crisis. Trade, both exports and imports, gives consumers more choice and a broader range of goods and services to choose from.
Freer trade, by which we mean unhindered by unnecessary trade barriers, has helped make possible the lifestyles we have become accustomed to. It has helped diversify and deepen our economy.
But more than this, the links we develop through trade and investment with other economies support people to people connections. They give us a richer and more diverse society.
Put simply, more trade means more jobs. We can’t prosper by selling to ourselves, we can’t eat all we produce and we can’t produce all we need. Over 600,000 jobs in New Zealand are dependent either directly or indirectly on trade.
“Free trade” doesn’t mean completely unregulated trade. Trade needs effective rules like any other area of activity. Free Trade agreements (FTAs) set fairer rules for the easier flow of goods and services, including in areas like trade and the environment and trade and labour. They also deal with the flow of capital. Companies need capital to grow.
Export income, capital inflows through foreign direct investment and the remittance of dividends from New Zealand’s offshore investments – these are what plug the gap in domestic spending and government deficits. They create jobs, they help us pay for our hospitals, our world class education and to build better infrastructure.
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 MFAT by NZIBF on the proposed green economy join working group with Chile and Singapore
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...
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.
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.
