Bilateral talks between New Zealand and the United States under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement

The New Zealand Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade welcomed Deputy United States Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi and representatives from the Office of the United States Trade Representative to Wellington on April 4 for talks within the framework of of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between New Zealand and the United States.

These were the first TIFA consultations between the United States and New Zealand since 2019, as discussions had been paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The discussions provided an opportunity to discuss the strong US-New Zealand bilateral trade and economic relationship, and explore opportunities for future growth.

Regional initiatives such as APEC and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework were also discussed, focusing on how the United States and New Zealand can continue to work together to promote regional stability and prosperity, including the year 2023 when the United States will host APEC. New Zealand also discussed its role as chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2023 and views were exchanged on the next WTO ministerial meeting in February 2024.

40 years of closer economic relations between Australia and New Zealand

The talks were led by Ambassador Bianchi for the United States and Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economy Vangelis Vitalis for New Zealand.

While in Wellington, the US representatives also attended a panel discussion with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Enterprise, Innovation and Employment, Te Puni Kōkiri, and the Ministry of Primary Industries on Maori economic development and New Zealand’s work on indigenous trade issues.

These were the first TIFA consultations between the United States and New Zealand since 2019, as discussions had been paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States is one of New Zealand’s most important trading partners. In 2022, it was New Zealand’s third largest trading partner, with NZ$22.9 billion in two-way trade. It is also New Zealand’s third largest source of foreign investment.