Canada

Our relationship with Canada

New Zealand and Canada have a deep and long-standing relationship and share many interests, concerns and values. We're linked by a common world view based on our Commonwealth heritage and shared parliamentary, legal, social, security and defence traditions. 

New Zealand and Canada work closely together in a range of multilateral fora. We cooperate on some of the toughest issues facing the international community today, such as Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East.

Defence and security

New Zealand and Canada are close strategic partners and regularly collaborate on defence and security matters. We are both members of the Five Eyes and enjoy a special intelligence and security partnership.

New Zealand and Canada have a long history of military cooperation, with both countries having committed forces alongside one another in the First and Second World Wars. More contemporary cooperation has included working together in Afghanistan, on the international response to ISIL and supporting the training of Ukrainian troops in the United Kingdom.

Trade and investment

Canada is an important trading partner for New Zealand, a significant source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and a significant source of tourists. 

New Zealand and Canada have a mutually beneficial trading relationship. Our main exports to Canada are meat; travel; beverages; dairy; and mechanical machinery. New Zealand’s main imports from Canada are mechanical machinery; fertilisers; travel; aircraft; and trade-related and other business services. A number of New Zealand tech and service companies have opened and expanded offices in Toronto in response to Canada’s growing tech market. 

New Zealand and Canada work together for freer global and regional trade through the WTO and APEC. We are also closely aligned in our efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable trade, through initiatives such as the Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG), Global Trade and Gender Arrangement [PDF, 462 KB] (GTAGA), Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

Read about the benefits of CPTPP for New Zealand and Canada - New Zealand and Canada: Trade Partners [PDF, 1.2 MB].

The latest information about New Zealand's trade profile with Canada is available on the New Zealand Trade Dashboard(external link).

People and culture

New Zealand and Canada working holiday visas give our young citizens (age 18–35) the opportunity to visit and work in each other’s country for up to 23 months. See the Working holiday scheme page for more.

New Zealand Māori and Canadian Indigenous Peoples, particularly from Western Canada, have regular visits and cultural exchanges, mostly independent of government agencies.

Embassies

New Zealand is represented in Canada by the New Zealand High Commission in Ottawa, Ontario, and the Consulate General and Trade Office(external link) in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada is represented in New Zealand by the High Commission of Canada, Wellington(external link) and the Canadian Consulate-General and Trade Office(external link), Auckland.

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