When Spaniards think of New Zealand, a number of things spring to mind. From the All Blacks rugby team, to Lord of the Rings, to its striking natural scenery. While New Zealand is a large country in terms of land mass – slightly larger in fact than the United Kingdom, our population is much smaller. We have five million people, with an additional one million kiwis living abroad. Known primarily for its nature and primary sector, New Zealand’s tech sector and its ease of doing business are also world leading.
New Zealand could not be any further from Spain. In fact, the two countries are antipodal to each other. Yet despite this physical distance, we have many shared interests and values.
As strategic partners, Spain and New Zealand work closely together on issues that matter to our communities, including democracy and human rights, and hold similar views on many international peace and security and economic policy issues. Spain is also an important and constructive partner for New Zealand within the EU. New Zealand and Spain worked closely as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council in 2015-16, particularly on the crisis in Syria. We also work together in other global forums, such as NATO and the Global Coalition against Daesh.
Whereas New Zealand’s most significant exports to Spain are food products such as Zespri kiwifruit – Spain is Zespri’s third largest market in the world (after China and Japan) – New Zealand exports to Spain are becoming increasingly diversified and value added
Tara Morton, Ambassador of New Zealand to Spain
When you share so much in terms of global outlook, it draws you closer together economically. The EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement will enter into force from 1 May 2024. This FTA will provide a platform to further grow our trade relationship and deepen connections between us.
The bilateral trade relationship with Spain is robust. In the year ended June 2023, New Zealand exported $509.4 million of total goods and services to Spain and imported $724 million, with a total trade value of $1.233 billion. These figures place Spain as New Zealand’s 31st largest export market. New Zealand’s major exports to Spain are food and beverage products, including fruit, seafood, meat, followed by specialised machinery for a variety of industries, including wood and timber and niche technologies.
Whereas New Zealand’s most significant exports to Spain are food products such as Zespri kiwifruit – Spain is Zespri’s third largest market in the world (after China and Japan) – New Zealand exports to Spain are becoming increasingly diversified and value added. As an example, in recent years there has been a growing number of New Zealand companies in the fields of health, marine and tech/agritech that have established a presence in Spain, including some that have made Spain their Europe headquarters.
People-to-people links are also growing, supported by increased interest in tourism, education and business – in both directions. The bilateral Working Holiday Scheme has recently been increased to allow for 2000 Working Holiday Visas in both directions every year. There are a range of treaties in force between New Zealand and Spain that help the lives of Spaniards and New Zealanders living in each other’s countries, including on double taxation and on the exchange of drivers licences. New Zealand and Spain are currently negotiating a Social Security Agreement.
We have a range of shared sporting links including in sailing, rugby and football. In 2023, alongside Australia, New Zealand hosted the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup – that Spain went on to win. And later this year, Emirates Team New Zealand will defend the America’s Cup in Barcelona.
As you can see we’re hitting new heights during our 55th year of formal diplomatic relations, and those relations are continuing to go from strength to strength!
Tara Morton, Ambassador of New Zealand to Spain
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