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Negotiations on the New Zealand – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) successfully concluded on 31 October following six rounds of negotiations.
The FTA is a significant achievement for New Zealand and secures new and improved access into some of our most important Middle East markets. Exports to GCC - made up of Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar - totalled NZ$1.3 billion in the year to June 2009, an increase of 218% since 2000. The group now ranks as our seventh largest trading partner with bilateral trade worth $3.85 billion.
Officials must now complete the legal verification process before the FTA can be put before Ministers for signature. It is likely that the agreement will be signed in the first half of 2010. Details of the agreement will be made public upon signature.
Background information paper - March 2007
To contact the negotiating team for information, please e-mail tplu@mfat.govt.nz
