On this page
Māori trade interests
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/Manatū Aorere engages closely with Māori to ensure that trade and economic interests and perspectives are understood and reflected in trade policy development and negotiations.
MFAT Te Taumata MOU [PDF, 3.3 MB]
Ngā Toki Whakarururanga(external link)
Ngā Toki Whakarururanga Mediation Agreement(external link)
Federation of Māori Authorities(external link)
National Iwi Chairs Forum Pou Tahua
The Treaty of Waitangi exception
Since 2001 a Treaty of Waitangi exception clause has been included in all of New Zealand’s trade agreements.
The exception enables the New Zealand Government to implement domestic policies to fulfil its obligations to Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty of Waitangi exception is one of a number of exceptions and reservations that ensures the Government retains its right to regulate in the public interest.
Māori interests in free trade agreements
Specific information about Māori interests in trade agreements can be found under each FTA.
The Māori economy
In the latest 2023 Te Ōhanga Māori Report, commissioned by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and undertaken by Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL), the Māori economy was valued at $126 billion. Māori exports in 2023 were estimated at approximately $5.2 billion, or 5.6% of the national export total.
Māori have significant trade interests in the primary sector (including dairy, meat and other food processing) and manufacturing (including wood and paper), accounting for approximately $1.9 billion in exports respectively in 2023. Professional, financial and administrative services is an emerging sector, accounting for approximately $700 million.
How MBIE supports Māori business(external link)
How NZTE supports Coalitions and Māori businesses(external link)
Help for exporters
Find out how we help exporters.
Contact us
Email us at fta_outreach@mfat.govt.nz to receive regular updates on all our FTAs as well as invitations to future trade events/webinars.
For more information, each of New Zealand's existing trade agreements have a publicly available National Interest Analysis (NIA) with information on the consultation that took place for the agreement in question.
