New Zealand's trade policy odyssey: Ottawa, via Marrakech, and on

New Zealand's ability to create wealth as a trading nation has always depended on the rules of the international trading game. In this study, John Yeabsley and Chris Nixon examine New Zealand's previous international negotiation successes and future prospects.

The authors take an analytical approach, but base their views squarely in the careful investigation of how the theory applies to five historical episodes: the 1932 Ottawa Conference, Britain's accession into the EEC, the trans-Tasman relationship, the Uruguay Round of GATT, and the APEC process. They show that New Zealand has always been a small player and our successes have stemmed from a conscious ability to be opportunistic and flexible. The increasing importance of a domestic trade policy also comes through.

This book is an engaging study of a little documented but vital area of local public administration that reveals an ongoing struggle by New Zealand representatives to achieve a sensible international trading environment.

Research Monograph 68.