The NZUS Council was delighted to convene with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in early May for a roundtable discussion concerning the New Zealand-United States relationship.
Hosted at our Council member Air New Zealand HQ in downtown Auckland, the dialogue welcomed representatives from the NZUS Council, alongside esteemed guests from prominent New Zealand businesses, including Sealab and Kea Aerospace.
The participants shared optimistic perspectives on New Zealand’s export industries in the US, encompassing tourism, aerospace, agriculture, education, and various services. Robust conversations centered on strategies to attract increased US investment as well as a focus on encouraging Kiwis who have honed their skills in the US to return and contribute to our economy.
The NZUS Council looks forward to supporting and complementing government efforts to expand and deepen relations with the USA.
The USA is New Zealand’s third largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI). Last year two-way trade with the US was worth NZ$26.09 billion, with NZ having a NZ$2.91 billion trade balance. New Zealand’s total goods and services exports were worth NZ$14.5 billion in 2023, with the US taking just over 15% of our total goods and services exports. In the year to 31 March 2023 (most recent figures), US FDI into New Zealand was $9.82 billion. As good as those numbers are there is still plenty of upside opportunity.
To learn more about partnering with the Council and contributing to the deepening our bilateral relationship with the United States, please reach out to us at: [email protected]