Abstract
New Zealand has been making a proactive approach to FTA over the last few years, based on the recognition that comprehensive agreements underpin the wider economic and investment relationship as well as opening up opportunities for productive commercial partnerships through the removal of tariffs on all goods, the liberalisation of services trade, provisions to encourage investment, etc. This paper examines the outcome and issues of recent FTAs, especially in terms of the views of the business sector on those agreements. The first part of the paper organises all the agreements by categories of those that have entered into force, have been singed, and those under negotiation, which enables us to see the active and positive attitude of the New Zealand Government toward a number of bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. The second part focuses on the opinions of the related organisations and business groups on trade negotiations. Original information was collected by a method of interview survey conducted by the author in Auckland and Wellington in 2005. As a result of the survey, it has been revealed that the favourable environment for the facilitation of FTAs is supported by the broad consensus between the government and the business sectors as well as a good communication network between them.
