Encouraging words were heard from leaders of the European Union when Bill English met them to discuss, among other things, a free trade agreement. Perversely, Brexit and the threatened policies of Donald Trump may have greatly helped New Zealand's prospects of an agreement with the EU. The deal was clearly a response to the dark cloud that had descended over US trade policy, threatening the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as prospects of a Trans-Atlantic pact as ambitious as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. At the same time, New Zealand needs to negotiate a new trade agreement with Britain. If the EU wants to do a free trade agreement with New Zealand within three years, as Tusk suggests, our experts should give their attention to that opportunity.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 12, 2017 16:32 UTC