New Zealand Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) deals with the rules of trade between nations at a global level. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments go to try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other. The New Zealand Permanent Mission to the WTO, working with the Trade Negotiations Division of New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington, represents the New Zealand Government in this process. One of the key roles of the NZ Permanent Mission is to pursue a successful outcome to WTO trade negotiations. Such an outcome would improve the competitiveness of New Zealand exporters, including through the elimination of agricultural export subsidies, improved market access (and conditions) for New Zealand’s products, improved conditions for New Zealand’s services exports, and improved rules governing world trade.

The Permanent Mission also:

• Works to secure outcomes in New Zealand’s favour in trade law disputes which arise when WTO members breach their legal obligations.
• Represents New Zealand in the full range of WTO Committees (and other related WTO bodies) to ensure the effective functioning of the rules-based multilateral trading system.
• Participates in negotiations with countries wishing to join the WTO in order to ensure that those countries take on WTO market access commitments that advance New Zealand’s trade interests.

Further, more detailed, information about New Zealand’s objectives and positions in the WTO is available on the Trade and Economic Relations component of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website

Information about the WTO itself is available on the WTO website