UAE-New Zealand trade pact takes effect

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and New Zealand, has officially come into force.

The deal, signed in January 2025, is set to transform trade and investment ties between the two countries by cutting tariffs, easing customs processes and encouraging private sector collaboration.

With the agreement now active, bilateral trade is expected to soar to over $5 billion annually by 2032, up from an average of $1.5 billion in recent years.

Under the terms, New Zealand will offer 100 per cent duty-free access to UAE exports, while the UAE will eliminate duties on 98.5 per cent of New Zealand’s products.

Notably, this marks New Zealand’s first such trade pact with a Middle Eastern country.

The CEPA is part of the UAE’s ambitious trade strategy, which aims to reach $1 trillion in trade value and double the national economy to over $800 billion by 2031.

Since its launch in September 2021, the UAE's CEPA programme has concluded deals with 28 countries, expanding access to markets covering nearly a quarter of the world’s population.