Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | 195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18 901, Wellington 5045, New Zealand
Ph +64 4 439 8000, | Email:info at mfat.govt.nz
Treaty Type:
Bilateral/Plurilateral
Common Name:
Responsible Department:
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Administering Department:
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Treaty Summary:
In June 2017 New Zealand launched free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Pacific Alliance, the Latin American regional grouping made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. New Zealand is pursuing a high quality, comprehensive, and progressive agreement that builds on existing agreements with Chile, Mexico, and Peru - New Zealand’s FTA partners under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and with Chile also the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (the ‘P4 Agreement’) - and establishes a new FTA with Colombia.
An agreement is expected to include provisions that remove tariffs on goods exports and address other issues that affect trade like customs clearance and other border procedures; trade in services, including digital trade; investment; government procurement; competition policy and state-owned enterprises; intellectual property; transparency of laws and regulations; labour, environment and cooperation on climate change; trade and gender issues; and wider cooperation activities; and an agreement-wide exception in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi.
NZ Adherence Status:
In Progress
Negotiation Status:
Under negotiation. As of November 2019, eight rounds of negotiations have been held. New Zealand is committed to concluding negotiations as soon as possible provided the agreement includes high quality and comprehensive access for New Zealand exporters and protects governments’ right to regulate.
Organisation:
Is Signed By NZ:
No
Signature Date:
Ratified or Signed:
No
Requires Ratification:
No
NZ Territorial Applications:
None
Information about required Legislation:
Impacts on Maori:
The New Zealand Government is seeking improved market access for goods and services of export interest to Māori, including Māori businesses that sell agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products to international markets, including in Latin America. To help inform New Zealand’s approach to market access in the negotiations, the Government commissioned a special report by Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL) into Māori export interests in Pacific Alliance markets in June 2018.
As with other New Zealand trade agreements, the Pacific Alliance-New Zealand FTA will also seek to include a Treaty of Waitangi exception clause which will protect the Government's ability to adopt policies that fulfil its obligations to Māori, including under the Treaty of Waitangi. Exceptions will also be included in the agreement that preserve governments’ ability to regulate in the public interest, including to protect public health; the environment; implement tax policy, prudential regulation and respond to financial crises; and for national security needs.
In addition to market access, in line with the Government’s Trade for All agenda and the importance of ensuring trade agreements are inclusive of a wide variety of New Zealanders’ interests, New Zealand is seeking to advance a framework for cooperation on indigenous issues in the FTA. The purpose of cooperation activities could include leveraging and expanding the opportunities for indigenous peoples that are presented by trade and investment, seeking to address trade barriers for indigenous peoples, and promoting cultural and people-to-people links. This approach aims to build upon a number of successful activities that are already being undertaken between New Zealand and Pacific Alliance countries, as well as directly between indigenous communities. Areas of interest may include developing trade and business relations, indigenous culture and language revitalisation, education and training, traditional knowledge.
There has been consultation with Māori throughout the negotiations through in-person meetings, submissions processes, and regular pānui. Further consultations will continue as negotiations progress.
Impacts on Stakeholders:
New Zealand businesses are generally expected to benefit from the FTA as a result of increased market access and a reduction of barriers to trade. Given CPTPP has entered into force in Mexico (with Chile and Peru expected to ratify in 2019), New Zealand is focusing on securing additional market access for New Zealand exporters in those markets, and comprehensive market access in Colombia.
Regular updates on negotiations have been posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, as well as an invitation for stakeholders to attend public events (dedicated sessions on the New Zealand-Pacific Alliance FTA, as well as public presentations on New Zealand’s wider trade policy agenda). Negotiators have welcomed input from all interested groups and two dedicated submissions processes have been held (September-October 2017 and March-April 2018) in which New Zealanders were invited to share with negotiators their views on what New Zealand should prioritise in the FTA, including any trade barriers they would like to see addressed and how the FTA could promote progressive and inclusive trade. Overall, 34 submissions were received.
Link To Legislation:
Treaty Text Link:
Contact Information:
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