Photo: ReutersNegotiations for an ``upgrade'' to the New Zealand-China free trade agreement will begin next month - a step Prime Minister Bill English said would help boost trade to $30 billion. Mr English said New Zealand was hoping for better access for some exporters under a renegotiated deal. New Zealand has been pushing for an upgrade since Australia signed its free trade agreement in 2015 on better terms than New Zealand's 2008 model. Mr English said the FTA upgrade would help achieve the Government's target of $30 billion in two-way trade by 2020 - up from $23 billion now. Premier Li, speaking through a translator, pointed to the importance of bolstering free trade at a time of a backlash against globalisation and free trade.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 27, 2017 05:15 UTC