New Zealand and Uruguay

New Zealand and Uruguay enjoy an amicable and cooperative relationship. Since April 1998 the New Zealand Ambassador in Buenos Aires has been accredited to Uruguay. Student exchanges and Ministerial visits, and most recently the visit of the New Zealand Prime Minister in November 2001 have contributed to better people-to-people links and fostered the relationship between the two governments. The two countries cooperate in several multilateral fora, including the Cairns Group, the Valdivia Group and on Antarctic Treaty matters.

Trade Relationship

Bilateral trade between the two countries is still small. Uruguayan exports to New Zealand are mostly squid, paving tiles and woven wool fabrics. New Zealand exports to Uruguay are dominated by barley, machinery (bottling and processing machines) and uncombed wool.

Agricultural Development

For some decades New Zealanders have been associated with World Bank consultancies aimed at enhancing agricultural development in Uruguay. The New Zealand Minister for Trade Negotiations had a bilateral programme in Uruguay at the conclusion of the Cairns Group meeting at the beginning of September 2001 to discuss future New Zealand/Uruguayan cooperation.