Market accessAPECExport controlsNZ and the WTOOECDTrade AgreementsAnti CounterfeitingAseanAustraliaChinaGulf Cooperation CouncilHong KongMalaysiaSingaporeThailandTrans PacificTrade RelationshipsTrade and economic analysisTrade law
Start writing the country or territory name in the box. Typing more letters narrows the search. Click "go" or hit "Enter" to go to the information paper on the country or territory.
(We don't have information papers on all countries and territories.)
Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
If you come across a term that isn't included in the Glossary please send us an email.
New Zealand and the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held their second round of FTA negotiations in Riyadh in mid-November 2007.
There was encouraging progress at the round, most notably in goods market access negotiations. New Zealand and the GCC exchanged offers on goods and services. Both sides have agreed to table an investment offer prior to the next round.
Both sides found the discussions productive and have affirmed that they are looking for a high quality agreement. The indicative timeframe of four negotiating rounds to complete substantive negotiations remains on-track, although this is likely to depend largely on the quality of the GCC's commitments in the market access negotiations in goods, services, investment and government procurement.
The next negotiating round is provisionally scheduled for Riyadh in April 2008.
New Zealand negotiators also undertook business outreach calls with New Zealand companies in the Gulf (with interests in education, ICT, fisheries management, building and construction/engineering) and with interested parties in Auckland (under the aegis of the New Zealand-Middle East Business Council) at the time of the second round. Those consultations helped to clarify the range of barriers and operating environment for New Zealand companies doing business in the GCC, and helped to identify ways that the GCC FTA negotiations could possibly assist.
New Zealand negotiators continue to welcome feedback from interested parties by way of input into preparations for future negotiating rounds. The following Background information paper is designed to inform interested businesses, groups and individuals about the negotiating process and an explanation of New Zealand's negotiating interests.
Background information paper - March 2007
To contact the negotiating team for information, please e-mail ftam@mfat.govt.nz
