Breadcrumbs
Home ›
Business and employment
›
Employment and skills
›
Our international labour relations
...
›
Trade and Labour
-
Employment and skills
- Employment Strategy
- Fair Pay Agreements legislation
- Health and safety
-
Employment legislation reviews
- Increasing the minimum sick leave entitlement
- Workplace relations in the screen industry
- Forced Labour Protocol
- Holidays Act Review
- Extending paid parental leave
- Equal Pay Amendment Act
- Law change for Easter Sunday shop trading
- Employment Standards Legislation Act
- Proposed Accident Compensation Appeal Tribunal
- Accident compensation dispute resolution review
- Reviewing regulated ACC payments for treatment
- Employment Relations Amendment Act
- Minimum wage reviews
- Sex work in New Zealand
- Changes to the process for setting pay for Members of Parliament
- Security officers – additional employment protections
- Matariki
- Updating Accident Compensation Review Costs Regulations
- Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day
- Changes to ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme
- Review framework for list of occupational diseases
- Contractor work in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Support workers – request for additional employment protections
- Consultation paper: Changes to ACC regulations for Chinese medicine, paramedics and audiometrists
- Our international labour relations
-
Labour market reports, data and analysis
- Jobs Online
- National Survey of Employment Intentions
- Labour Market Dashboard
- Quarterly labour market report
- Labour Market Statistics Snapshot
- Monthly labour market fact sheet
- Labour market forecasting
- National Survey of Employers
- Other labour market reports
- Labour market glossary
- Quarterly Labour Market Scorecard
- Preparing all young people for satisfying and rewarding working lives Long-Term Insights Briefing
- Future of Work Tripartite Forum
- NZ income insurance scheme
- NZ Industrial Relations Foundation
- Plan of action against forced labour, people trafficking and slavery
- Employment website
- Regional Skills Leadership Groups
Trade and Labour
The International Labour Policy Team leads negotiations and implementation the labour-related components of New Zealand’s trade agreements, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
On this page
A trade/labour framework
Trade agreements are an important driver for sustainable growth in Aotearoa New Zealand and in our partner countries.
Tradeable goods and services are a product of labour. Each free trade negotiation that Aotearoa New Zealand engages on seeks to reinforce International Labour Organization member commitments, and address labour rights and labour issues.
Labour provisions in trade agreements help ensure that labour is not exploited for economic benefit. The intent is that this will help enhance the conditions in which people work now and into the future. They also set out areas for cooperation with our trading partners, including sharing information about our experience and best practice, to help improve working conditions.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s Trade and Labour Framework (published in September 2023) sets out our trade and labour policy objectives. Read the Trade and Labour Framework here:
The trade/ labour framework [PDF 968 KB](external link) — Foreign Affairs & Trade
New Zealand Agreements with trade and labour components
- Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (2024)
- The New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (2024)
- United Kingdom-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (2023)
- Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (2018)
- Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (2015)
- The Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu on Economic Cooperation (2013)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia on Labour Cooperation (2012)
- The New Zealand-Hong Kong, China Closer Economic Partnership (2010)
- New Zealand-Malaysia Agreement on Labour Cooperation (2009)
- Memorandum of Agreement on Labour Cooperation between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (2009)
- China – New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation (2008)
Information about NZ’s trade agreements are available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website and the texts of these agreements are available on the New Zealand Treaties Online website.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade(external link)
New Zealand Treaties Online(external link)
Procedure for submissions on trade agreements
For any trade labour submissions, questions or other matters please contact us through:
MBIE may request, from the person or organisation that made the submission, additional information that is necessary to consider the substance of the submission.
Submissions may be made to the trade labour email address above or the following postal address:
International Labour Policy Team
Labour & Immigration Policy Branch
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473,
Wellington 6140, New Zealand