A new agreement between Australian and New Zealand will drive the international competitiveness of export businesses in both countries.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the New Zealand Customs Service signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Brussels last week to recognise the supply chain security programmes of both countries.
The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton said that this was a significant step forward in Australia’s relationship with its seventh largest trading partner.
“This is another great step forward in our trading relationship with New Zealand as the agreement would reduce the regulatory burden for exporters and make Trans-Tasman trade more appealing for businesses,” Mr Dutton said.
“By recognising the supply chain security measures Australian and New Zealand businesses already have in place in their home country, we can facilitate the movement of trade faster.
“About $3 billion New Zealand imports to Australia will be fast tracked and $7.5 billion of Australian exports to New Zealand will benefit from the MRA by 2020.
“It means that it will take less time for exporters with approved measures in place to get their goods to market than our international competitors.”