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Rob Muldoon was Prime Minister of New Zealand, current New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs made his test debut for the All Black team which beat the Lions 4-0 in the home test series, and Split Enz's Enz of an Era album enjoyed number one album status in the New Zealand music charts.
The European Union was still known as the European Economic Community, and the World Trade Organisation didn’t even exist.
The year was 1983, when New Zealand signed up to its first bilateral trade agreement - the Closer Economic Relations (CER) with Australia.
CER was designed to expand free trade by eliminating barriers to trade and promoting fair competition.
In the last 25 years, both economies have benefited significantly from CER. Through a suite of agreements and arrangements, it provides one of the most open trading environments in the world, supported by free movement of people, and the mutual recognition of goods and occupations across the Tasman.
In 1990, total free trade in goods produced in the two countries was achieved, five years ahead of schedule. Free trade in almost all services was achieved by 1989.
The WTO describes CER as "the world’s most comprehensive compatible free trade agreement", a considerable compliment.
The depth and breadth of engagement between the two countries was recently reaffirmed by the New Zealand and Australian Prime Ministers as being "as close as it gets".
The focus now for both countries is a shared vision to create a seamless trans-Tasman business environment, or Single Economic Market.
