Astana considers free trade agreement with New Zealand

Astana is hosting the 2nd round of talks on free trade between the Customs Union member states and New Zealand, Press Service of the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Economic Trade and Trade, Novosti Kazakhstan reports. “Within the talks experts will consider lowering import duties, application of sanitary and phytosanitary norms (…) besides, court settlement procedures and liberalization of the service and investments markets are to be considered”, the Ministry announced. The first round of the talks was held in Geneva February 16-18, 2011. New Zealand is the 2nd destination the Customs Union wants to agree on free trade with. Earlier similar talks were held with European Free Trade Association (EFTA) consisting of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Up to now, Kazakhstan has agreed on free trade only with the CIS nations. Last year a free trade agreement was signed with Serbia. A similar agreement is to be completed with Montenegro. These agreements were signed within the efforts to unify trade regimes of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus with regards to third parties. As of today, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and New Zealand is insignificant. Kazakhstan exports lead and aluminum, while New Zealand imports meat, dairy products and fish, as well as some types of machinery and equipment. “Greater access to each other’s markets under a free trade agreement would enable to expand the range of products and boost the trade turnover”, the Ministry emphasized.