New Zealand businesses now have preferential access to nearly 450 million consumers through the New Zealand European Union Free Trade Agreement.
From day one of implementation (1 May 2024) 91% of New Zealand’s goods exports to the EU will be duty-free, while all goods imported from the EU will become duty-free. This increase in supply chain flexibility will allow New Zealand businesses to better adapt to fast-changing environments and events.
The European Union is New Zealand’s fourth largest trading partner, culminating in over NZ$20 billion in two-way trade in 2023. With this Agreement, our exports to the EU could increase by up to NZ$ 1.8 billion per year by 2035 and generate an additional NZ$ 1.4 billion to New Zealand’s GDP annually.
How do I make use of the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement?
- This Agreement provides for self-declaration of origin via an invoice statement, which will reduce costs for exporters. We strongly advise any exporters opting into this Agreement to thoroughly research and understand the Rules of Origin provision of the Agreement, before making your legal statements on origin for your consignment.
- You can find the Statement of Origin and Supplier declaration here.
- It is worthwhile highlighting that it is also important for businesses to have an up to date sustainability strategy and reporting, here is a useful news story explaining some of the reasons why
More Questions?
- If you have any questions about Rules of Origin compliance, where to start or the new changes, feel free to contact our team so we can help.
- Our Export Documentation page hosts all the documents and templates you need
- New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a handy infographic to summarise they key points of the agreement and you can access all their related information here