New Zealand's Smart Moves in a Tough Trade World

New Zealand is making smart choices in trade as the U. S. and China fight over tariffs. The country's finance minister, Nicola Willis, recently talked about how New Zealand is focusing on stronger regional trade ties. This is important because small countries like New Zealand need to be ready for big changes in global trade. New Zealand is part of a big trade deal called the CPTPP, which includes countries like Canada, Japan, and Britain. The European Union also wants to join this deal. New Zealand is also working on a new trade deal with the United Arab Emirates. These deals show that many countries want to keep trading smoothly, even with the U. S. -China trade war. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other trade experts have noticed that most countries are still following old trade rules. Only a few countries, like the U. S. , China, and Canada, have raised tariffs recently. This means that most trade is still happening as usual. New Zealand is also serious about fighting climate change. The country is committed to reducing emissions, even though the U. S. has pulled out of the Paris climate accord. Willis said that New Zealand needs to prepare for extreme weather events, especially to help small island nations in the Pacific. Trade deals like the one with the EU also require countries to keep working on climate change. Willis said that many countries are still committed to this. New Zealand is also part of the Five Eyes group, which includes Britain, Canada, the U. S. , and Australia. The country is increasing its defense spending as global tensions rise.