Relations between Germany and New Zealand are based on shared interests and values. The two countries are often like-minded partners in international affairs, trade, research and cultural exchange and cultivate their good relations with high-level visits.

Foreign Minister Wadephul visited New Zealand in February 2026.

The German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (GNZCC) in Auckland has been successfully promoting bilateral economic relations for 40 years now. New Zealand’s business community is represented in Germany by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise based in Hamburg. The German Asia‑Pacific Business Association in Hamburg has regular committee meetings on New Zealand.

Trade between New Zealand and Germany has intensified as a result of the free trade agreement with the EU, which entered into force on 1 May 2024. Germany is New Zealand’s most important trading partner in the EU. Trade consists of German industrial goods (vehicles, machinery, pharmaceuticals) in exchange for New Zealand’s agricultural produce (meat, fruit, wine, dairy products). German exports to New Zealand in 2025 amounted to 1.41 billion euro, while imports from New Zealand to Germany totalled 852.7 million euro.

Since 2000, the Working Holiday Programme between Germany and New Zealand has enabled young people to stay between one and twelve months to take up a vacation job. This offers them the chance to get to know the culture and everyday life of their host country. To date, around 16,000 Germans have taken advantage of this opportunity each year. Cultural and academic relations are also good and substantial. Thanks to the work of the Goethe‑Institut and other cultural institutions, there is a vibrant exchange between the two countries. This includes numerous and wide-ranging academic cooperation arrangements between universities as well as collaboration on research.