New Zealand has welcomed the United States’ decision to remove additional tariffs on a significant share of its agricultural exports, calling it a positive step for exporters who have been grappling with higher costs for months.
The U.S. move, announced late last week, removes extra duties on more than 200 food products — including beef, offal, and kiwifruit — as the White House looks to ease domestic grocery price pressures. The affected goods represent roughly NZ$2.21 billion (US$1.25 billion) in New Zealand exports to the American market each year, according to government estimates.
Trade Minister Todd McClay said the rollback would bring immediate relief to producers who have faced both uncertainty and increased costs since the tariffs were imposed. “The U.S. remains an important trade partner for New Zealand, and this decision is a step in the right direction,” he said in a statement on Sunday. “Exporters will welcome the clarity after months of disruption.”
However, McClay noted that the change only removes part of the additional tariff framework imposed in recent years. Several New Zealand products continue to face extra duties under reciprocal trade measures between the two nations.
He stressed that the government would keep pushing for the remaining tariffs to be scrapped, arguing that the trading relationship between New Zealand and the U.S. is “balanced, stable, and mutually beneficial.”
While the latest development will help agricultural exporters regain competitiveness in the American market, industry groups say they are still waiting to see whether wider negotiations could lead to a full reset of tariff settings.
For now, the partial rollback signals a thaw in trade tensions — and provides some short-term certainty at a time when global markets remain unpredictable.
US lifts tariffs on NZ$2.21bn worth of New Zealand exports
