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New Zealand and Mexico enjoy a warm and positive relationship that is growing and expanding. Traditionally focused on trade, bilateral contact has broadened significantly in recent years across a wide range of political, social, economic and cultural areas, particularly through the Latin America Strategy. The two foreign ministries hold regular consultations covering a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues.
In September 2007, President Felipe Calderón visited New Zealand – the first bilateral visit by a Mexican president. 2008 marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in July 1973, and the 25th anniversary of the opening of the NewZealand Embassy in Mexico City in 1983. top of page
Since the early 1970s Mexico has consistently been our top Latin American trading partner and is among our most important milk powder markets in the world. In the year to December 2008, NewZealand exported NZ$431.6 million worth of goods to Mexico.
Recognising the tremendous potential to strengthen our bilateral trade and economic relationship, in 2002 the NewZealand and Mexican governments agreed to undertake a study of the possibility of negotiating of a Closer Economic Partnership (CEP) or Free Trade Agreement (FTA) ‘plus’. The joint experts group established to undertake the study consisted of government officials, business representatives, and academics from both countries.
The report of the joint experts group was presented to NewZealand and Mexican Ministers in late 2006. It confirmed that our economies are complementary and outlined the potential benefits of a closer economic partnership or ‘FTA plus’, where in addition to removing traditional barriers to trade, both countries could grow from strategic cooperation through research and development.
A large Mexican public/private business delegation visited New Zealand in August 2008 led by Dr Bruno Ferrari, the head of Mexico’s trade and investment promotion organisation, ProMéxico. The group visited research centres and businesses in Auckland and Hamilton to explore commercial and technological cooperation opportunities. During the visit the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) signed memoranda of understanding with the Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC) and the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and Industry (NZCCI) to facilitate the exchange of information and promote mutual trade, investment and technology transfers between New Zealand and Mexico.
A cooperation agreement between TradeNZ (now NZTE) and Bancomext (the state owned Mexican foreign trade bank*) was signed in February 1992. This Agreement provides for information sharing and the facilitation of each other’s trade promotion efforts. In April 1994 a bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (TIA) was signed. The TIA provides for discussions on trade and investment issues. The most recent round of TIA talks was held in Mexico in June 2002, with the issues of concern since covered through the FTA plus study/JEG processes (see above).
Further supporting the development of strategic business partnerships, a double tax agreement was signed in 2006 and entered into force in June 2007. In July 2007 Bancomext’s external trade promotion functions were incorporated into the new state-owned organisation ProMéxico.
*In July 2007 Bancomext’s external trade promotion functions were incorporated into the new state-owned organisation ProMéxico.
NewZealand and Mexico have largely complementary economies, with NewZealand’s strength in agriculture and Mexico’s strength in manufacturing. Agriculture is an area with great potential for growth in trade and cooperation, and a number of visits focused on this sector have taken place in recent years.
The Governor of the State of Jalisco, Mr Emilio González, visited New Zealand in October 2008 with a large public/private delegation to explore collaborative opportunities in a range of areas, most notably agribusiness. During the delegation’s five-day programme the Governor met with the then Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Biosecurity and Fisheries Hon Jim Anderton and signed an Arrangement on Agricultural Cooperation between the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the State of Jalisco. The Director General of the NewZealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Murray Sherwin, subsequently visited Mexico in June 2009 for the inaugural meeting of the MAF – State of Jalisco Committee on Agricultural Cooperation, and to continue dialogue with the country’s agricultural sector building on an earlier visit in July 2006.
Mr Francisco Conejo, President of the Jalisco Foundation, led a delegation to NewZealand in October 2007 to explore agribusiness cooperation opportunities. In addition to meeting with Ministers Anderton and Goff, and government officials, the delegation met with a number of Crown Research Institutes and the private sector in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.
Hon Jim Anderton visited Mexico in July 2007 to meet with the Mexican administration, Senate, Chamber of Deputies and agribusiness groups to discuss ways to realise the potential in the NewZealand-Mexico bilateral agricultural and trade relationship. During the visit Minister Anderton also visited the states of Mexico and Jalisco, and met with key officials, including the Governor of Jalisco.
In May 2007 the Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Alistair Polson, visited Mexico to meet with key Mexican agricultural groups and discuss themes of common interest.
Officials from the NewZealand Food Safety Authority visited Mexico on three occasions in 2007 to progress the use of electronic certification in our bilateral agricultural trade, and to further other areas of collaboration with the Mexican agriculture ministry, SAGARPA.
In 2003 the President of Federated Farmers visited Mexico to speak at a producers’ conference and a delegation representing the Governor of the State of Michoacán visited New Zealand with a programme focused on agriculture and trade.
In 2001, representatives of Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture travelled to New Zealand to undertake training in pest-risk management techniques.
An air services agreement was signed in 1999. The agreement provides for open capacity for traffic between Mexico and New Zealand only, and for the introduction of third country traffic if agreed at a later stage. Under the agreement Air New Zealand and Mexicana have entered into code-share services between the two countries via LosAngeles. Upon its expiry in March 2003, March 2006 and again in March 2009, both governments agreed to extend the agreement for three years.
An overarching education cooperation agreement was signed in 2004 during the visit to Mexico by an education mission led by then Minister of Education Trevor Mallard. New Zealand Education Counsellor for Latin America Dr Matthew O’Meagher visited Mexico in April 2009 to follow up on links established by the 2004 education mission and explore new potential for collaboration.
Many New Zealand universities and polytechnics, including Auckland, Otago, AUT, Massey and Weltec have formed relationships with Mexican counterparts, opening up opportunities for cooperation and student and staff exchanges. An increasing volume of university agreements (18 in total) reflect the educational interest between Mexico and New Zealand:
Overall in 2007, 245 Mexican students studied in NewZealand including: 10 students in schools, 25 in universities and polytechnics, and 210 in private training establishments (including English language providers).
At the academic level, a number of exchanges and visits have taken place in recent years, including:
There has been wide range of cultural exchanges between NewZealand and Mexico in recent years, in particular with support under the Latin America Strategy. Examples include:
TePapa Chief Executive, DrSeddon Bennington, visited Mexico in July 2006 to discuss cooperation and possible exhibition exchanges. In follow up, the Oceania Curator of the Mexican National Museum of Cultures, Dr Raffaela Cedraschi, undertook a two week residency at Te Papa in October 2007.
The Kahurangi Maori performing arts group performed in Mexico for Waitangi Day and the opening of a new Chancery (Embassy office) in February 2004 and visited again in May 2007 to perform in the Ollinkan Festival of indigenous cultures.
Dame Malvina Major performed at the prestigious Cervantino Performing Arts Festival in October 2004, as did the dance troupe Black Grace in 2005 and the New Zealand String Quartet in 2006.
In 2001, the NewZealand Embassy in Mexico City was involved in promoting NewZealand and Maori culture at festivals in Mexico City and Guanajuato, and a Maori performing group visited Mexico.Mexican and NewZealand citizens are able to travel to each other’s country for up to 90 days without needing to apply for a visa beforehand.
A working holiday scheme, Mexico’s first, was signed during President Calderón’s visit to NewZealand in September 2007. The scheme allows 200 people aged 18-30 from each country to spend a year travelling, working and studying in the other. The scheme began on 31 March 2008 and is expected to greatly enhance the people-to-people links between NewZealand and Mexico.
An umbrella agreement on scientific and technological cooperation was signed in August 1983. In March 2004 the NewZealand Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) and its Mexican counterpart CONACYT took steps to promote relations by signing an “Arrangement on Scientific, Research and Technological Cooperation”.
In March 2006, a delegation of senior representatives from four Crown Research Institutes visited Mexico to establish and consolidate research, science and technology links.
Mexican scientists are members of the LEARN (Livestock Emissions and Abatement Research Network) and have participated in conferences in NewZealand in 2007 and Uruguay in 2008.
Social development
Liliana Rojero, Executive Secretary of the Mexican National Women's Institute (INMUJERES) visited New Zealand in June 2007 to explore the role and work of NewZealand government departments and agencies in addressing family violence and women’s refuge issues.
In October 2006, restorative justice expert Dr Gabrielle Maxwell and coordinator Saskia Schuitemaker visited Mexico to meet with justice reform contacts and undertake a series of seminars and workshops.
Early in 2005 Ombudsman John Belgrave visited Mexico to attend an international conference and have a series of bilateral discussions with Mexican organisations involved in freedom of information and human rights.
In 2001 Mexico’s Federal Electoral Institute visited New Zealand for discussions with counterparts. Also that year, a six-member New Zealand delegation travelled to Mexico to lead a conference on natural resource management.
New Zealand and Mexico share common interests in many international fora and held their first multilateral foreign policy consultations in October 2007 in Mexico City, followed by a roundtable on UN issues in Wellington in February 2008.
Mexico and New Zealand have cooperated closely on disarmament issues for many years, notably over the annual United Nations Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty resolution. Both are members of the New Agenda group dedicated to making progress on nuclear disarmament issues and the Oslo Process on cluster munitions, and belong to regional Nuclear Weapon Free Zone treaties.
Cooperation is steadily increasing in multilateral human rights fora; NewZealand and Mexico worked closely on the development of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
NewZealand was a strong supporter of Mexico’s successful candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the periods 2002 – 2003 and 2009 – 2010, and Mexico will support New Zealand’s candidature to the same body for the period 2015 - 2016.
Environmental issues are also an important area of cooperation, particularly in climate change and whales conservation. NewZealand’s Climate Change Ambassador, Adrian Macey, visited Mexico for climate change talks in May 2008.
In the multilateral/regional trade area, NewZealand and Mexico are both members of APEC, the OECD and the WTO, as well as FEALAC (the Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation).
The NewZealand Embassy in Mexico City operates a Head of Mission Fund to support small scale, community-based development assistance projects.
In the 2008/09 financial year, funding was granted to a diverse range of groups, including indigenous women producing compost and growing organic produce in the state of Morelos, and community farmers in the state of Guerrero.
Visits between NewZealand and Mexico have enjoyed a new momentum since the launch of the Latin America Strategy in 2000. In addition to the wide range of people-to-people contacts in the cultural, scientific and education fields, high-level visits have added depth to the bilateral relationship.
Official Name - United Mexican States
Land Area – 1,953,162 sq km
Population – 110 million (2008 estimate)
Capital City – Mexico City
Religion – Catholic
Official Language – Spanish
Currency – Peso
Exchange Rate – US$1 = 14.18 MXM (February 2008)
Political system – Presidential; Federal; Universal adult suffrage
National government – Cabinet appointed by President
National legislature – Bicameral Congress
Last election –, Congressional (lower house only) – July 2009
Next elections due – Presidential and Congressional (upper and lower house) – July 2012
Head of State – President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
Head of Government – President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
GDP – US$1,088.1 billion
GDP Per Capita (PPP) – US$14,083 (2008 estimate)
Real GDP Growth – 1.4%
Exports FOB – US$291.3 billion
Imports FOB – US$308.6 billion
Main exports –
Manufactured goods: 79%
Oil: 17.4%
Agricultural products: 3%
Mining products: 0.7%
Consumer Price Inflation (average) – 5.1%
Gross external debt – US$185.6 billion (2008 estimate)
Current account – deficit of US$15.7 billion
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (2008 figures)
New Zealand/Mexico top 20 trade figures
New Zealand Exports |
NZ$431.6 million |
Main Exports |
Milk Powder (42%) Butter (18%) Sheepmeat (12%) Casein (5%) Live beef (3%) Cheese (3%) |
New Zealand Imports |
NZ$184.4 million |
Main Imports |
Telephone equipment (17%) Computers (10%) Beer (9%) Medical or veterinary instruments (4%) Ethyl alcohol (3%) Machinery, parts (3%) Motor vehicles (3%) |
Source: Statistics New Zealand (year to December 2008)
The New Zealand Embassy in Mexico City is responsible for Mexico.
The Mexican Embassy of Mexico in Wellington is responsible for New Zealand.
The New Zealand government's Safe Travel website has comprehensive travel information including advice on the safety and security of travel to Uruguay.
Further enquiries may be directed to:
Consular Division
Tel: +64 4 439 8000
Fax: +64 4 439 8532
New Zealanders and Mexicans travelling to each other's country for less than three months do not need to apply for a visa beforehand.
