Americas

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Our relationship with North America

The North American region is hugely important to us. Canada and the United States are both close partners for New Zealand. Our friendships are long-standing and based on shared democratic values. New Zealand works together with the United States and Canada on a range of international issues, from agriculture and fisheries to climate change and the environment, Antarctic issues, human rights and indigenous issues. Our formal connections with countries in the region include our work with international organisations such as the UN, WTO as well as regional organisations such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). North America is an important source of tourists for New Zealand, and there are Working Holiday Schemes in place that enable young New Zealanders to travel in the region.

Formal connections

  • the United Nations (UN);
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO);
  • Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC);
  • East Asia Summit (EAS);
  • ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF);
  • the Commonwealth (with Canada).

Trade

We have a long history of trade links with North America. The US is New Zealand’s third-largest trading partner, a major source of foreign direct investment, and a key innovation partner. New Zealand, the United States and Canada are all members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), and New Zealand and Canada have both ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

More on the NZUS Council(external link).

Our relationship with the Caribbean

New Zealand shares a number of commonalities with the Caribbean, including our membership of the Commonwealth, a focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Issues, a commitment to multilateralism and a firm view that addressing the climate emergency requires increased and sustained attention.

Through our engagement with the region, we are particularly interested in building connections between the Caribbean and the Pacific, and working with our Caribbean partners to explore solutions to the issues commonly faced by small island developing states. New Zealand is a strong advocate for SIDS in the international area, including with respect to climate change issues, and our engagement in this area has grown in recent years.

Formal connections

We have formal diplomatic relationships with the following Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. We also have formal diplomatic relationships with the two main regional organisations: the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

In addition to these diplomatic relationships, our partnership with the region is formalised through a Development Cooperation Arrangement with CARICOM, which was originally signed in May 2014.

We also work closely with our Caribbean partners through the United Nations and the Commonwealth systems on issues such as oceans management, transnational crime and small arms trafficking.

Trade

We have a long, yet modest history of trade links with the Caribbean. Our exports to the Caribbean are largely dairy products and meat, and our most significant imports from the region are spirits. There is increasing scope to expand trade, tourism and investment as the economies of the Caribbean develop.

Aid

As a champion for SIDS, we are maintaining a Caribbean programme primarily with eligible CARICOM member states. In our interventions, we seek sustainable development outcomes.

We work with trusted delivery partners including multilateral and regional organisations. Our International Development Cooperation draws, where possible, on Aotearoa New Zealand’s capabilities and expertise to develop partnerships in areas of renewable energy (including geothermal), climate smart agriculture, disaster risk management and knowledge and skills development (including through scholarships).

Find out more about the New Zealand Aid Programme with the Caribbean

Our relationship with Latin America

Latin America is important to us; it is part of the Asia Pacific region but is also a key partner in its own right. Our Latin America Strategy guides our efforts to deepen our relationships with key Latin countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Argentina.

We have a lot in common with Latin America and work closely with Latin countries on a range of international issues. We are both major agricultural producers, and we are working together to support global agricultural and fisheries reform. We also cooperate closely on areas such as climate change and the environment, Antarctic issues, disarmament, human rights and indigenous issues.

Formal connections

  • the United Nations (UN);
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO);
  • the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC);
  • the Pacific Alliance;
  • MERCOSUR;
  • the Community for Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC);
  • the Central American Integration Scheme (SICA);
  • the Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC); and
  • the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.

Trade

Latin American countries are important trading partners for us, although there is a lot of untapped potential. We are an Observer of the Pacific Alliance (a regional integration initiative between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) and have a long-standing dialogue with Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay).

A significant number of Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Uruguay) are members of the Cairns Group(external link), along with New Zealand and Australia.

Latin America is an important source of students and tourists for New Zealand, and there are a range of Working Holiday Schemes in place that can enable young New Zealanders to travel in the region.

Trade agreements and negotiations

The Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC) will be of interest to businesses and individuals interested in learning more about doing business with Latin America.

Aid

The New Zealand Aid Programme has worked with Latin America since the 1970s. Our priority there is agricultural development.

Read more about the New Zealand Aid Programme in Latin America

Embassies and consular services for Americas

Location Service areas
New Zealand Consulate-General, Honolulu, Hawaii Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau, United States of America
New Zealand Consulate-General, Los Angeles, California United States of America
New Zealand Embassy to Argentina Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay
New Zealand Embassy to Brazil Brazil
New Zealand Embassy to Chile Bolivia, Chile, Peru
New Zealand Embassy to Colombia Ecuador
New Zealand Embassy to Mexico Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela
New Zealand Embassy to the United States of America United States of America
New Zealand High Commission Canada
New Zealand High Commission to the Caribbean Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Barbados, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago
Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York

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