Free trade with China

Great news that New Zealand is the first developed country to start negotiations with China for a free trade agreement.

This has the potential to be a huge gain for NZ exporters, and as we have so few tarriffs left, is likely to have little effect on other sectors.

As I commented to the University of North Florida in January, it would be an irony if NZ concluded a free trade agreement with (so called) communist China before it does with the bastion of capitalism – the United States. Both NZ and US need to compromise on out-standing issues such as the nuclear ships ban to make progress here.