Public Input into Free Trade Negotiations: The New Zealand-China FTA

Abstract

The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into force on 1 October 2008, is one of the most significant developments in New Zealand foreign policy in recent years. It is a milestone in the country’s changing outlook, signifying a shift away from traditional relationships with European partners towards an increasingly fruitful economic and political focus on the Asia-Pacific region, and it has set an important international precedent, being the first such agreement negotiated between China and any developed country.¹ The economic impact of the FTA has been astounding. In the first year of the agreement New Zealand’s exports to China increased by almost 60 per cent (New Zealand Government, 2010), with overall trade between China and New Zealand up by over a third since the agreement came into force, from 8.5 billion NZ dollars to 11.1 billion NZ dollars, and a target is in place to double overall trade by 2015 (Xinhua, 2011).