Negotiations on the UK's Future Trading Relationship with New Zealand: Update
The fourth round of Free Trade Agreement negotiations with New Zealand took place virtually between 12-27 April 2021.
Both nations are working towards an agreement that will liberalise trade and promote shared values such as openness and sustainability. We remain committed to achieving a comprehensive agreement that sets new standards in trade and supports businesses, jobs and consumers in both countries.
Negotiators held over 50 sessions during the round, covering all chapters. The talks were positive and productive, with good progress being made across the agreement.
Ahead of the round, both sides exchanged our second goods market access offers and first procurement offers. With almost all text proposals exchanged ahead of the round, negotiators identified considerable areas of agreement and common objectives, with most teams working from one consolidated text.
Chief negotiators provisionally agreed the outline of the whole agreement, including a chapter on Anti-Corruption, and a standalone chapter on Women in Trade. Excellent progress was made on issues relating to trade and development across the agreement.
In addition to provisionally agreeing the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises chapter, we have provisionally closed two more chapters: Trade Remedies and Competition.
We also made significant progress on Disputes, Rules of Origin, Goods, Labour and Telecommunications, Digital, Consumer Protection and Environment.
The UK and New Zealand both remain eager to make further progress, with the UK clear that momentum needs to be maintained across the whole agreement. Ahead of the next round, negotiating teams will share further proposals and discuss a range of issues, including intellectual property and indigenous trade.
Throughout the process the UK will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure their views inform our approach to negotiations.
Any deal the UK agrees will be fair and balanced and in the best interests of the whole of the country. We remain committed to upholding our high environmental, labour, food safety and animal welfare standards in the deal, as well as protecting the National Health Service (NHS).
Below is a list of areas discussed in the round:
-
Anti-Corruption
-
Competition
-
Consumer Protection
-
Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation
-
Digital
-
Environment and Clean Growth
-
Financial Services
-
Good Regulatory Practice
-
Intellectual Property
-
Investment
-
Labour
-
Legal and Institutional
-
Procurement
-
Rules of Origin
-
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
-
Services (including Professional Business Services, Transport and Delivery Services, and Movement of Natural Persons)
-
State-Owned Enterprises
-
State-to-State Dispute Settlement
-
Technical Barriers to Trade
-
Telecoms
-
Trade and Development
-
Trade in Goods
-
Trade Remedies
-
Women in Trade