Weekly Global Report:
On this page
Domestic
Australia and New Zealand Deepen Two-Way Climate-Finance Cooperation with 2025 2+2 Dialogue
Australia and New Zealand held the latest 2+2 Climate and Finance Dialogue in Auckland on 5 December, where ministers from both nations committed to a series of coordinated policies to leverage the low-emission transition into trade and economic growth opportunities. New Zealand was represented by Finance and Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts, while Australia was represented by Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers and Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.
The ministers agreed to align regulatory frameworks around clean energy technologies — including standards for electric-vehicle charging, smart battery systems, solar installations and energy-efficient appliances — to reduce barriers to trade in green-tech goods and services. They committed to jointly upgrade the Equipment Energy Efficiency registration system, facilitating smoother cross-border trade in energy-efficient products and lowering compliance burdens for businesses operating across the Tasman. Read the full press release here(external link).
New Zealand International Trade Surges in September Quarter: Goods and Services Exports Reach NZ$25.0 Billion
New Zealand goods and services exports have climbed to NZ$25.0 billion in the September 2025 quarter, up from NZ$22.3 billion a year earlier. Merchandise exports alone rose 19% year-on-year, bolstered by strong demand for dairy, meat and horticultural products, indicating robust global demand. Read more here(external link).
Global
Global Trade Shows Lower Resilience, Tariff Coverage Hits Record Levels, Says WTO
According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), nearly a fifth of global imports (by value) are now subject to tariffs or trade-restrictive measures — a sharp increase reflecting rising trade friction worldwide. The surge in coverage underlines an increasingly hostile environment for exporters and importers alike, especially those relying on complex global supply chains. Read more here(external link).
UNCTAD Warns Global Growth & Trade Under Pressure in 2025
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) projects that global economic growth will slow to 2.6% in 2025 and 2026, down from 2.9% in 2024, reflecting rising trade-policy uncertainty, financial uncertainty, and volatile global demand.
The report argues that trade and finance are increasingly intertwined, warning that instability in global financial markets could jeopardise trade flows — a risk especially acute for developing economies dependent on overseas demand and external financing. Read more here(external link).
North Asia
China’s November Export Rebound Offers Hope for Global Trade
After a slump in October, China’s exports are expected to rebound with a 3.8% year-on-year increase in November 2025, as Chinese manufacturers capitalise on a recent tariff truce with the United States. Exports of technology and manufactured goods led the rebound, reflecting renewed global demand. Imports also rose 2.8%, supporting hopes for stabilised trade flows. Still, factory activity remains under pressure, pointing to uneven strength across China’s export base. Read more here(external link).
China–Southeast Asia Trade Surges as Exporters Seek Tariff Workarounds
Chinese exporters are increasingly routing goods through Southeast Asia as exports to the six largest Southeast Asian economies rose by 23.5% from Jan–Sep 2025, nearly double the average growth of the past four years. Much of the increase is in intermediate goods used for regional manufacturing, illustrating how companies are adapting supply chains to circumvent tariff pressures. The Financial Times reports that “the latest wave of exports could be tied to attempts to circumvent US tariffs on Chinese-made products”, which have been hit by levies of around 47%. Read more here.(external link)
Feedback
We welcome feedback from New Zealand exporters on this report and invite requests for reporting from New Zealand’s network of Embassies and High Commissions. If you have suggestions on a topic you would like to hear more about, or to subscribe to this weekly update, you can sign up here(external link) or email us at exports@mfat.govt.nz
Market reports released this week
- Read the previous global economic round-up
A full list of global economic round-ups can be found here(external link)
If you would like to request a topic for reporting please email exports@mfat.govt.nz
External links
The following links may provide useful information to businesses:
NZTE’s website(external link) and their myNZTE(external link) provides a range of insights and tools available to support New Zealand exporters.
The Treasury releases a weekly economic update(external link) every Friday. Stats NZ has published a data portal(external link) with near real-time economic indicators.
MBIE publishes a sector reports series(external link) which provides regularly updated reports on all industry sectors that make up the New Zealand economy. These include official economic data and the challenges and opportunities that face New Zealand’s industry sectors.
Business.govt.nz(external link) provides tools and advice from across government to save small businesses’ time and help make the business a success.
MFAT has created a tariff finder(external link) which is designed to help goods exporters and importers maximise benefits from New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreements and compare tariffs in 136 other markets.
The all of government Trade Barriers(external link) website can be used to register any trade barriers experienced or issues exporting to an offshore market. Queries can be sent via the website or through the MFAT Exporter Helpline 0800 824 605. Enquiries will be sent to the government agency best placed to answer.
Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ provides official data on the value of New Zealand’s exports and imports of both goods and services, by commodity type via the New Zealand Trade Dashboard(external link). This interactive dashboard is updated every quarter and allows for filtering by country and by commodity type.
Sign up for email alerts
If you would like to subscribe to this weekly update, go to our subscription page(external link) or email us at exports@mfat.govt.nz
Learn more about exporting
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise’s comprehensive market guides(external link) cover export regulations, business culture, market-entry strategies and more.
Disclaimer
This information released in this report aligns with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. The opinions and analysis expressed in this report are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views or official policy position of the New Zealand Government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Government take no responsibility for the accuracy of this report.
Copyright
Crown copyright ©. Website copyright statement is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence(external link). In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to the Crown and abide by the other licence terms.