Employer Bulletin | 1 September
The New Zealand–United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has officially entered into force, opening the door to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Agriculture, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay announced.
“The NZ–UAE CEPA delivers up to an estimated $42 million in tariff savings per year for Kiwi exporters and the wider economy,” Mr McClay says.
“From today, 98.5 percent of New Zealand’s exports to the UAE will enter duty-free, rising to 99 percent by the start of 2027. This is one of the best goods market access packages we have ever secured.”
Key goods, such as dairy ($766m), red meat ($52.5m), apples ($34.9m), kiwifruit ($7.8m), seafood ($15.5m), forestry products ($9.4m), and honey ($5.2m) will all enter duty free from today.
The UAE is one of New Zealand’s largest markets in the Middle East, and a gateway into a US$500 billion economy that is growing and diversifying rapidly. With two-way trade already worth $1.44 billion a year the CEPA creates a platform to go much further.
In today’s Bulletin:
- Employment Court pitches in on tangled employer identity
- No take-backs on mutually agreed exit
- Consequences for jumping to conclusions of misconduct
- Pushing employee off work found to be constructive dismissal
- Employee’s complaints do not equal raising personal grievances
- Eight news updates of interest for employers including: Tax bill to grow the economy and ease cost of living; Reserve Bank capital review welcomed; Retail activity up in the June 2025 quarter; New Business Investor Visa to support growth; Infrastructure Pipeline continues to grow; NZ–UAE Trade Agreement enters into force, unlocking billions in new opportunities; Express lane for new supermarkets; and Gender pay gap narrows to lowest on record.
- Eleven bills open for submission
If you have any questions, about this case or other employment relation matters, call the Advice Line team on 0800 800 362.
