EN — New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Export Growth Todd McClay told Parliament on June 4 that two-way trade with China reached a record NZ$43.1 billion in the 2025 calendar year, describing the economic relationship as an "indispensable partnership" for New Zealand's prosperity.

In his annual trade policy statement, McClay noted that China has been New Zealand's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years, absorbing 32% of all goods exports and supplying 23% of imports. "Our free trade agreement with China, upgraded in 2022, continues to deliver tangible benefits — tariff elimination now covers 98% of New Zealand's exports to China by value," he said.

McClay confirmed that negotiations for a further FTA upgrade are underway, with a focus on services trade, digital economy provisions, and environmental goods. The next round of talks is scheduled for September 2026 in Wellington. He also addressed concerns over geopolitical tensions, stating that "New Zealand's trade policy is not conducted through the lens of any single bilateral relationship — we pursue our national interest independently and consistently."

The Minister highlighted tourism recovery as a bright spot, with 487,000 Chinese visitors to New Zealand in the year to March 2026, just 8% below pre-pandemic levels, contributing an estimated NZ$1.8 billion to the economy. Education services exports to China, including both onshore and offshore delivery, generated NZ$1.4 billion.

ZH — 新西兰贸易及出口增长部长托德·麦克莱6月4日在议会发表年度贸易政策声明时表示，2025日历年内中新双边贸易达到创纪录的431亿纽币，称这一经济关系对新西兰繁荣而言是"不可或缺的伙伴关系"。

麦克莱指出，中国已连续12年成为新西兰最大贸易伙伴，吸收了新西兰32%的商品出口、提供了23%的进口。"我们2022年升级的自由贸易协定继续带来切实利益——按价值计算，98%的新西兰对华出口现已实现零关税。"他确认新一轮自贸协定升级谈判正在进行中，重点关注服务贸易、数字经济条款和环境产品，下一轮谈判定于2026年9月在惠灵顿举行。

旅游复苏是另一亮点：截至2026年3月的一年中，有48.7万名中国游客到访新西兰，仅比疫情前水平低8%，贡献约18亿纽币经济价值。对华教育服务出口（含境内和境外交付）创造14亿纽币收入。

Source: Beehive.govt.nz