Free Trade:China and New Zealand

So New Zealand have signed the first Free Trade Agreement with China. It’s quite a big deal really and there is no doubt New Zealand has been chosen by China as an easy country to do business with and there is a fairly long and open history between the two countries.

There’s been a bit of concern over the human rights aspects of the deal and what it means for workers conditions but it’s really simple to deal with that if it is a concern of yours:

Buy goods that you are happy to buy. Buy Kiwi made or buy ethically certified. But ultimately as a consumer you have the final say on what you purchase. So ask more questions and you’ll find your enquiries work their way up the chain. Business is business and the customer is always right. Over time wokplace conditions will improve and as China becomes more wealthy they will be able to move towards standards we take for granted here.

Lance, Jim and the NBR have all commented on the ins and outs of the deal but I think it’s a positive step to open up markets as it breaks down barriers.

However consumers will always have the final word so we’ll wait and see what the actual impact is.