Five Million Voices

Should New Zealand change its laws to implement the free-trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, including raising the investment-screening threshold for UAE investors and applying preferential tariffs?

This omnibus bill amends the Overseas Investment Act 2005, the Customs and Excise Act 2018, and related regulations to bring New Zealand's domestic law into line with the New Zealand-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

MPs’ arguments for and against the bill

Why support it
  • Supporters argued the agreement eliminates tariffs on 98.5 percent of goods exports immediately, rising to 99 percent within three years, benefiting dairy, meat, and horticulture exporters.
  • Supporters said expanding the free-trade network into the Middle East matters for a trading nation, particularly given disruption to the multilateral, rules-based trading system.
  • Supporters noted the agreement preserves the Government's right to regulate, retains Treaty of Waitangi provisions, and does not include an investor-State dispute settlement mechanism.
Why oppose it
  • Some members and submitters, including the Council of Trade Unions, said labour standards and human rights in the UAE fall below the standards New Zealand holds, and questioned the limits of addressing these through trade agreements.
  • Some noted the bill raises the investment-screening threshold for non-Government UAE investors from NZ$100 million to NZ$200 million, reducing the level of investment requiring consent.

These are claims MPs made in Parliament’s debate — not verified facts.

Full bill summary & link to official bill page

An omnibus bill making the legislative changes needed for New Zealand to implement its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) — a free trade agreement — with the United Arab Emirates. It amends several Acts, including tariff and customs law to phase out duties on goods traded under the agreement, and the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to align investment-screening settings with commitments made to UAE investors. The CEPA removes tariffs on the large majority of New Zealand's exports to the UAE, one of its biggest Middle East markets, benefiting exporters of food and other goods. It affects exporters, importers, customs administration and overseas investors.

Origin: a Government bill giving domestic legal effect to a negotiated bilateral trade agreement, which cannot take effect until implementing law is in place. Argument for: cutting tariffs and easing trade lowers costs for exporters, opens a wealthy market and supports jobs and diversification, including for Māori business. Argument against: critics of such deals raise concerns about investor protections limiting future regulation, about labour and human-rights standards in partner countries, and about relatively modest overall economic gains.

See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.

Oppose (No) Support (Yes)

United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill · Third Reading, 22 Jul 2025
Parliament voted 102–20 — it passed.