, the most populous city in Canada. , the most populous city in New Zealand. There is mass trade between Canada and New Zealand that has proven reliable to both countries making it an important and stable base for a long-lasting relationship. In 2011, bilateral trade levels totalled (CAD) $932 million. Canadian exports to New Zealand amounted to $382 million, with fertilizers, machinery, meat, books, electrical equipment and wood products being Canada's top exports. Meat and wine were New Zealand's top exports to Canada. Canada's main exports to New Zealand included aircraft, electrical equipment, machinery and fertilizers for 2006. Canada's leading imports from New Zealand include meat, dairy products, agricultural machinery and wine. New Zealand offers many opportunities for Canadian companies particularly in energy, extractive industries, telecommunications and food products. International Terminal,
Auckland, New Zealand. Canada was New Zealand's 12th largest export destination and 14th largest trading partner in the year ended December 2006 with exports of NZ$553 million. There are significant Canadian investments in New Zealand, particularly
McCains and communications company
Stratos Global Corporation. New Zealand companies in Canada include
Tait Electronics,
Michael Hill Jeweller,
Fonterra, Peace Software and
Glidepath.
Auckland Airport CPPIB buyout There was some debate in the
New Zealand Government about the
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the Crown corporation that manages assets on behalf of the
Canada Pension Plan, trying to buy a 40% stake in
Auckland Airport, a strategic asset for the New Zealand government, with the
Labour Party trying to block the sale by passing new laws which prevent foreign acquisitions of New Zealand "strategic assets". It was announced on April 11, 2008, that the CPPIB had given up on its bid on Auckland Airport after many attempts by the New Zealand government to restrict foreign investment in New Zealand's infrastructure. The CPPIB said it was "disappointed in the outcome of its Overseas Investment Act application"
Air services The
Canada/New Zealand Air Transport Agreement was signed in 1985. Both countries' respective national airlines,
Air Canada and
Air New Zealand, are members of the
Star Alliance. In November 2007, Air New Zealand began a non-stop service between
Auckland and
Vancouver which operates three times a week.
Dairy dispute New Zealand and Canada have had disputes over Canada's protectionist policies towards its dairy industries, which it regarded as a breach of free trade. On 29 December 1997, New Zealand lodged a complaint with the
World Trade Organization, arguing that Canada's "special milk classes" scheme was inconsistent with Article XI of the
General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) 1994, and Articles 3, 8, 9 and 10 of the
Agreement on Agriculture. Following arbitration, the two countries reached a mutually agreed solution on 9 May 2003. On 12 May 2022, New Zealand initiated dispute settlement proceedings against Canada under the
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) challenging Canada's CPTPP dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs). The two governments held consultations in June 2022 but were unable to resolve the dispute. On 7 November, New Zealand requested the establishment of an arbitration panel. Several CPTPP members including Australia, Japan, Mexico, Peru and Singapore also participated as third parties. On 9 March 2023, a panel consisting of Jennifer Hillman, Petros Mavroidis and Colleen Swords was established. Following submissions by the New Zealand and Canadian sides, a dispute hearing was held in
Ottawa between 14 and 15 June 2023. The Canadian Government also claimed that the arbitration panel ruled in their favour. Under CPTPP rules, Canada and New Zealand reached an agreement for Canada to implement the Panel's findings by 1 May 2024. By 2 May 2024, Canada still had not implemented changes to its dairy tariff rate quotas. In response, New Zealand Trade Minister
Todd McClay slammed Canada's refusal to comply with the CPTPP ruling as "cynical" and said that NZ would not back down on the matter. On 18 October 2024, McClay confirmed that the New Zealand Government had notified the Canadian Government that it would be triggering mandatory negotiations in order to resolve the dairy dispute between the two countries. This marks the first time that a CPTPP member has used this type of negotiation to resolve a trade dispute. Per CPTPP rules, negotiations must start within 15 days. Should they fail, New Zealand could apply tariffs on Canadian goods entering the country. McClay said that the Canadian dairy TRQ system had caused New Zealand to lose NZ$200 million worth in exports over several years and said that escalating the dispute was a matter of honouring free trade agreements. On 18 July, McClay confirmed that the Canadian government had agreed to amend its dairy quota to ease New Zealand dairy imports, which he estimated would deliver up to NZ$157 million to New Zealand dairy exporters. ==Film and television==