In an interview on Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast, NZUS Council Executive Director Fiona Cooper set the scene for the 2025 US Business Summit emphasising that New Zealand businesses are operating in “new times” shaped by America’s evolving playbook for international trade.
Fiona noted that while New Zealand exporters were initially bracing for the worst following the introduction of US reciprocal tariffs, the reality has been more varied. Many sectors have seen prices hold up and demand in the United States remain strong. The full impact will become clearer as new trade statistics emerge in the new year, and the US Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on the legality of the tariff regime may introduce further change.
Despite this uncertainty, Fiona underscored that the United States remains a huge, high-value market as New Zealand’s second-largest overall and our largest services market. Kiwi companies continue to perform strongly across technology, machinery, services, investment, education, aerospace, agribusiness and more.
“Today is about sharing stories on how we navigate this tariff turbulence,” she said, “while at the same time seizing those opportunities.”
The 2025 US Business Summit, “America’s New Playbook”, brought together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders and innovators to help understand the challenges, build connections, and identify the next wave of growth for New Zealand businesses in the United States, as led by the Summit’s experienced hosts and members of the Council, Fran O’Sullivan and Simon Bridges.
Listen to the full interview: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/