Stephen JacobiStephen Jacobi

Stephen Jacobi is executive director of the NZ China Council and the NZ International Business Forum.

What a Biden presidency could mean for US-New Zealand relations

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From re-engaging with the Paris Agreement to reducing tensions with China, there are a number of things New Zealand will be hoping to see from the US under a President Joe Biden, writes Stephen Jacobi. The American people have spoken. America’s “better angels” have prevailed. We all hope for better times ahead, but, while there … Read more

We may not like it, but we need China’s money now more than ever

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Diversifying the export economy is a worthy goal – but let’s be realistic about what throwing away a critical relationship with China would mean for New Zealand, writes Stephen Jacobi of the NZ International Business Forum. In a 2018 study of 183 economies’ dependence on China, undertaken by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and … Read more

Why NZ shouldn’t panic about the growth of China’s domestic milk powder market

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Taking a longer-term view of developments in the China market would help everyone’s stress levels, writes Stephen Jacobi.* These are tense times for trade. The ongoing US-China trade war makes everyone (even me) nervous. So when news broke that the Chinese government wished to see 60% of the infant formula market controlled by Chinese companies within … Read more

Where does the US vs China trade war leave New Zealand?

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From Monday almost 100 NZ exporters are taking part in the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. The forum heralds a more prosperous and integrated China, but it takes place against the background of a debilitating trade war, writes Stephen Jacobi of the NZ International Business Forum Competing economic visions will need to find a … Read more

Belt and Road doesn’t mean anything to most of us. Here’s why it really should

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If NZ wants to continue to build the relationship with China, we need to get serious about the initiative that defines the country’s view of its place in the world, writes Stephen Jacobi of the NZ China Council Five years ago when he announced his grand vision for investment-led development along ancient trade routes linking … Read more

Jacobi: The reborn TPP shows progressive trade policy has real currency

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The revamped deal is now on track for sign-off in early March, and it deserves support by progressives and conservatives alike, argues Stephen Jacobi of the NZ International Business Forum. Read Jane Kelsey’s critique of the proposed deal here Good things come in small bundles. And occasionally in large ones, even with a mouthful of a … Read more

The TPP’s not dead – here’s why

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The NZ election campaign coincides with a crunch time for the future of the Trans Pacific Partnership. In the absence of the US, attempts to renegotiate an 11-member TPP risk scuppering a deal that could bring enormous benefits to New Zealand, argues Stephen Jacobi, executive director of the NZ International Business Forum. Good ideas never … Read more

TPP RIP: what now for New Zealand trade policy?

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When President Donald J Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a number of New Zealand’s trade cards flew into the air – including a possible bilateral deal with “America first”. Trade advocate Stephen Jacobi reviews the options. The apparent demise of the TPP is is not … Read more