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New Zealand and Uruguay have an easy affinity based on similarity of size, southern hemisphere co-location and the role of agriculture in external trade. The two countries cooperate closely on international agricultural trade access issues in the World Trade Organisation and the Cairns Group. As a fellow dairy exporter, Uruguay shares common interests with New Zealand on international dairy access issues. There is significant New Zealand agribusiness investment in Uruguay. A working holiday agreement was initiated between the two countries in October 2003. Since April 1998, the New Zealand Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been responsible for Uruguay. Previously, the accreditation was from Santiago. New Zealand also has an Honorary Consul in Uruguay, Manuel (Mac) Herrera.
New Zealand commodity exports to Uruguay for the December 2008 year totalled NZ$13.61 million, an increase from NZD 9.53 million in the December 2007 year. The main items were wool and agricultural machinery and equipment. New Zealand commodity imports from Uruguay for the same period totalled NZ$4.3 million, a significant increase from the NZ$710,000 in the December 2008 year. The main items were fishing vessels, food preparations and oil.
There is significant New Zealand agribusiness investment in Uruguay. PGG Wrightson has raised NZ$300 million for its investment in Uruguay developing dairy farms using New Zealand farm and pasture management techniques, managed by the company New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay. In the past two years it has purchased 36,000 ha, 50,000 livestock, built 11 dairy sheds and aims to be milking 14,000 cows by June 2009.
AgResearch has signed a joint venture with Uruguayan agricultural research institute INIA and Argentine seed company Gentos to develop and sell plant cultivars in South America. INIA has research relationships also with Lincoln and Massey Universities. Lincoln also has a memorandum of understanding supporting research with Uruguay’s University of the Republic. New Zealand firms have been involved in upgrading Uruguay dairy processing facilities.
New Zealand agricultural science is highly respected in Uruguay. For some decades, New Zealanders have been associated with World Bank consultancies aimed at enhancing Uruguay agricultural development. New Zealand livestock has been exported to Uruguay (the Corriedale breed dominates Uruguay’s large sheep flock) and Uruguayan plants have been used in New Zealand drought research. Other areas of mutual interest include pasture development, herd/bull progeny testing, and agricultural training.
Uruguay’s agriculture extension agency - Plan Agropecuario - is developing new links with agriculture training institutes in New Zealand and AgResearch to improve skills in the industry. The CEO of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry led a New Zealand government delegation to the Americas Innovation Forum held in Uruguay in March 2008 to share New Zealand’s experience in innovation in the agriculture sector. Several Uruguay farmer and technical adviser delegations have made study visits to New Zealand in recent years, including in 2008 a group of 45 members of the Uruguay FUCREA farmers’ network, with Latin America Strategy Fund (LASF) support for the travel of its Technical Coordinator for Livestock and Agriculture.
At the last census, in March 2006, 297 people normally residing in New Zealand were born in Uruguay (up from 60 in 2001). A record 62 permanent residence applications from Uruguayans were granted in the year to June 2008.
Visas are no longer required by New Zealanders or Uruguayans visiting each other’s countries for up to three months.
A working holiday agreement allows 200 young Uruguayans and 200 young New Zealanders each year to spend 12 months travelling, working and studying in the other country.
Since 2003, nine Uruguayans have studied agriculture, environment and good governance related subjects at New Zealand universities under tertiary-level study awards from New Zealand’s Agency for International Development (NZAID). Other technical cooperation funded by NZAID has included activities in the areas of viticulture/oenology, standards and conformance training, farm management, dairy industry familiarisation and scoping of a possible carbon sink accounting system for Uruguay. The Latin American Development Programme funds two scholarships per year for Uruguayan students to study in New Zealand, in the field of good governance or agriculture.
A new area of collaboration is the measurement and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. In July 2008, Uruguay hosted the first regional workshop in Latin America of the Livestock Emissions Abatement Research Network (LEARN), which was launched by New Zealand in December 2007. In August 2008 New Zealand awarded the first ever LEARN Fellowship to a scientist from Uruguay’s INIA agricultural research institute, Dr Veronica Ciganda, to spend time studying at Lincoln University.
New Zealand and Uruguay cooperate in several multilateral fora. Uruguay is a fellow member of the Cairns Group and shares New Zealand’s objectives for open, unsubsidised world agricultural trade. The two countries collaborate on a range of United Nations issues including in the areas of human rights and the environment, and have an active dialogue on Antarctica and Southern Ocean fisheries matters.
During President Tabaré Vázquez’ visit to New Zealand in November 2007, he and Prime Minister Helen Clark agreed on a new area of bilateral collaboration aimed at sharing with the Uruguayan government New Zealand’s experience in public sector management reform. Since that time, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in December 2007) and the Office of Planning and Budget (in May 2008) of Uruguay have paid study visits to New Zealand, and a New Zealand academic (in September 2008) has made a reciprocal visit to Uruguay to advance cooperation in this area.
Prime Minister Helen Clark met President Vázquez during her visit to Chile in March 2006 to attend the inauguration of President Michelle Bachelet.
Radio broadcaster Emiliano Cotelo visited New Zealand in June 2007 as Prime Minister’s Fellow. Uruguayan Journalists specialising in agriculture, education, science and technology and cultural themes have visited New Zealand with support from the Latin America Strategy Fund (LASF) and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise in recent years. New Zealand business journalist Rod Oram visited Uruguay in September 2008 with support from the LASF.
Official Name - Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Land Area – 177,500 sq km
Population – 3.3 million (2009 estimate)
|Capital City – Montevidéo
Religion – Predominantly Catholic
Official Language – Spanish
Currency – Uruguayan Peso (UYU)
Exchange Rate – UYU 23 = USD 1 (January 2009)
EEZ – 200 miles
Political system – Republic
National government – Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio (EP-FA Broad Front)
National legislature – Bicameral congress of 31 member senate and 99 member chamber of deputies (proportional representation)
Last election – October 2004
Next election due – October 2009 Head of State – Dr Tabaré Vázquez
Head of Government – Dr Tabaré Vázquez
Key Ministers
Vice President - Rodolfo Nin Novoa
Agriculture & Fisheries - Ernesto Agazzi
Defence - José Bayardi
Economy & Finance - Álvaro García
Education & Culture - María Simon
Foreign Affairs - Gonzalo Fernández
Housing & Environment - Carlos Colacce
Industry & Energy - Daniel Martínez
Interior - Daisy Tourné
Labour & Welfare - Eduardo Bonomi
Planning and Budget - Enrique Rubio
Public Health - María Julia Muñoz
Social Development - Marina Arismendi
Tourism - Héctor Lescano
Transport & Works - Víctor Rossi
Key Opposition MPs – Jorge Larrañaga, Leader of Partido Nacional
Main political parties
Encuentro Progresista - Frente Amplio (EP-FA Broad Front)
Nuevo Espacio
Partido Nacional (Blancos)
Partido Colorado (PC)
Partido Independiente (PI)
GDP (nominal) – USD 30,740.6 billion (2008 estimate)
GDP breakdown:
Goods – 43% (2007)
Services – 57% (2007)
GDP Per Capita (nominal) – USD 7,267 (2007 actual)
GDP Per Capita (PPP) – USD $12,904 (2008 estimate)
Real GDP Growth – 11% (2008 estimate)
Exports FOB – USD 7.295 billion (2008 estimate)
Imports – USD 5.6 billion (2007)
Main exports –
Frozen beef - USD 677.87 million
Chilled beef - USD 258.27 million
Rice - USD 218.58 million
Leather - USD 207.99 million
Inflation (CPI) – 7.9 % (2008 estimate)
Gross external debt – USD 11.5 billion (2008 estimate)
Current account (deficit) - USD -1.1 billion (2008 estimate)
New Zealand/Uruguay top 20 trade figures are available from Statistics New Zealand [external link]
NZ Exports (FOB) |
NZ $13.61 million (year to Dec 2008 - provisional) |
||
Top four exports to Uruguay in million NZ$ (and % total exports) |
Unidentified exports under $10,000 |
$2.72 (20%) |
|
| wool not carded or combed | $2.63 (19%) | ||
| Harvest Etc Machines, Cleaning Eggs Etc Nesoi, Pts | $1.54 (11%) | ||
| Agri Etc & Poultry Etc Equip, Inc Incubators, Pts | $0.72 (5%) | ||
NZ Imports (CIF) |
NZ $4,340,000 (year to Dec 2008) |
||
Top three imports in million NZ$ (and % total import) |
Fishing Vessels;Factory Ships & Shps,Ves, Nesoi |
$3.56 (82%) | |
| Articles Nesoi Of Unharded Vulcanized Rubber | $0.24 (5%) | ||
| Food Preparations Nesoi | $0.09 (2%) |
||
| - Oil (Not Crude) From Petrol & Bitum Mineral Etc. | $0.22 (5%) | ||
The New Zealand Embassy in Argentina is also responsible for Uruguay.
The Uruguayan Embassy in Australia is also 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 Uruguayans travelling to each other's country for less than three months do not need to apply for a visa beforehand.
