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Preparations for a NZ-UK FTA
From 2017 until the launch of negotiations in 2020, officials met regularly to discuss ways to prepare the ground for FTA negotiations, including through Trade Policy Dialogue discussions which set the foundation for formal negotiations. Key steps were:
- October 2016:New Zealand and the UK agreed to establish a Trade Policy Dialogue following the UK Brexit referendum.
- March 2017:The first Trade Policy Dialogue meeting was held in London.
- May 2017:The second Trade Policy Dialogue meeting was held in London.
- September 2017:The third Trade Policy Dialogue meeting was held in London.
- April 2018:The fourth Trade Policy Dialogue meeting was held in Wellington.
- July–October 2018:The UK called for public consultations on an FTA with New Zealand.
- September 2018:The fifth Trade Policy Dialogue meeting was held in London.
- November 2018–February 2019:New Zealand called for public submissions on a free trade agreement with the UK.
- June 2020: The results of New Zealand’s initial public consultation on a NZ-UK free trade agreement were published.
Summary of New Zealand objectives
The paper below, published in June 2020, outlined New Zealand's high-level objectives for the New Zealand-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, including information on areas that New Zealand expected the negotiations to cover.
Read in English or Te Reo:
Six formal rounds of negotiations were held between the launch of negotiations in June 2020 and reaching Agreement in Principle in October 2021.
Round 1
The first round of negotiations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was held through video conference meetings from 13 - 24 July 2020.
Watch Chief Negotiator Brad Burgess’s video update on the first round.
Brad Burgess talks about NZ UK FTA negotiations
Round 2
The second round of negotiations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was held through video conference meetings from 19 October - 2 November 2020.
Watch Chief Negotiator Brad Burgess’s video update on the second round.
Round 3
The third round of negotiations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was held through video conference meetings from 26 January - 9 February 2021.
Watch Chief Negotiator Brad Burgess's video update on the third round.
Watch Chief Negotiator Brad Burgess’s video update on the fourth round.
Round 4
The fourth round of negotiations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was held through video conference meetings from 12 - 27 April 2021.
Round 5
The fifth round of negotiations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was held through video conference meetings from 8 - 16 June 2021.
Round 6
The sixth round of negotiations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was held through video conference meetings from 19 - 30 July 2021.
Agreement in Principle and finalisation of the FTA
New Zealand and the United Kingdom reached Agreement in Principle [PDF, 532 KB]on the NZ-UK FTA on 20 October 2021. Negotiations continued on a virtual basis until the FTA was finalised and signed on 28 February 2022 (1 March NZT).
Read the media release announcing the NZ-UK FTA signature(external link).
Entry into force
New Zealand’s free trade agreement with the United Kingdom entered into force on 31 May 2023.