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Spain ’s membership of the European Union added the most significant dimension to New Zealand's interest in Spain. This was reflected in the opening of the New Zealand Embassy in Madrid in 1992. Spain recently appointed a new resident Ambassador to New Zealand and the official opening of the Embassy of Spain is scheduled for 2008.
Spain is currently New Zealand’s 7th largest merchandise export market and 8th largest import market in the European Union. There is room for an increase in economic links (trade, investment, and tourism) and prospects for that are good. Bilateral trade statistics are likely to understate New Zealand’s exports to Spain as a significant proportion are directed through entrepot ports, particularly in the Netherlands, and transhipped to Spain. Our exports to Spain are dominated by agricultural products (mainly fresh fruit, molluscs, sheep meat, and frozen fish), but New Zealand manufacturers and service providers are starting to appreciate the opportunities this large market holds.
Although the level of Spanish investment in New Zealand is very low there is potential for it to increase, particularly in the forest products, food processing and marine industries sectors as well as in relation to creative industries, telecommunications and power.Land Area - 504,880 square kilometres
Population
- 40.45 million (June 2007 estimate)
Capital City -
Madrid
Language - Spanish (Castilian), Catalan, Galician, Basque
Political system - Constitutional monarchy
National
government - Centre-left Socialist Party
National legislature - Council of Ministers headed by
the President of the Government (who is also the Prime Minister) - Bicameral Parliament comprising the lower
house Congress of Deputies (350 seats, members elected through proportional
representation from multimember constituencies) and upper house Senate (208
directly elected members and 51 designated by regions)
Last election
- 9 March 2008
Next election
due - March 2012
Head of State - King
Juan Carlos 1
Head of Government - President of the Government
(Prime Minister) José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
GDP US$1.153 trillion (2007 est.)
Real
GDP growth 3.8% (2007 est.)
Exports
US$248.3 billion (2007 est.)
Imports
US$359.1 billion (2007 est.)
Main exports
Raw materials and intermediate products (excluding energy),
consumer goods, capital goods
Inflation - 4.4% (2007 est.)
New Zealand Trade (to year December 2007)
NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$240.7 million
Main Exports - Fresh fruit, molluscs, frozen fish, sheep meat
NZ Imports (CIF)
- NZ$270.6 million
Main Imports
- Motor vehicles, olive oil, medicaments
The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to Spain [external link].
