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Support for SMEs
What the NZ-EU FTA Means for New Zealand's Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
The New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (NZ–EU FTA) opens up exciting new opportunities for New Zealand’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow, export, and innovate in the EU – the world’s largest single economic market. See a summary of the Agreement.
SMEs’ Valuable Contribution
SMEs are the backbone of New Zealand’s economy. Typically defined as businesses with fewer than 20 employees, they:
- generate over a quarter of New Zealand’s GDP;
- account for 97% of all New Zealand businesses; and
- employ approximately 31% of New Zealand’s workforce.
The majority of businesses in New Zealand and the EU are SMEs. Recognising their importance, the NZ-EU FTA includes a dedicated SME chapter [PDF, 18 KB] (Chapter 21) to address the unique challenges SMEs face in accessing trade and investment opportunities. Read the full text for the Agreement.
What’s in the SME Chapter?
The standalone SME chapter:
- promotes transparency around trade-related information relevant to SMEs;
- encourages cooperation on SME support initiatives between NZ and the EU; and
- facilitates access to online resources to help SMEs understand and use the FTA.
Non-tariff measures often have a disproportionate impact on SMEs wanting to export due to a multitude of burdensome compliance requirements and increased compliance costs that can generally be more easily absorbed by large-scale businesses. This chapter helps to reduce some of those barriers.
Tools and Resources for Exporting to the EU
Tariff and Trade Info
- Tariff Finder(external link) – MFAT: Check tariff rates for over 160 WTO members, including the EU.
Export Help
- Export Helpdesk(external link) – MFAT: Contact MFAT with questions about exporting to the EU.
Regulatory Updates
- Get ready for changes to exporting to the EU – business.govt.nz(external link)
- EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – MPI(external link)
Compliance and Certification
- Customs procedures – Customs NZ(external link)
- Sanitary and phytosanitary measures – Export requirements | NZ Government(external link)
- Phytosanitary certificates – Phytosanitary certificates | NZ Government(external link)
- Exporting organic products to the EU – Ministry for Primary Industries(external link)
- Government agencies can help when you export - business.govt.nz(external link)
Technical Barriers and Procurement
- Trade barriers – MBIE(external link)
- Public procurement rules – New Zealand Government(external link)
- GETS – Government Electronic Tender Service | Current tenders(external link)
Intellectual Property and Business Setup
- Geographical Indications – MFAT
- IP rights and registration – IPONZ(external link)
- Starting a business – business.govt.nz(external link)
- Registering a company – Companies Office(external link)
- Small business and manufacturing – MBIE(external link)
How the EU supports its SMEs
The EU also provides resources to help its SMEs export to New Zealand: