NZINC. and the Auckland Business Chamber present the 12th China Business Summit, New Zealand’s premier platform for exploring the economic, commercial and political dimensions of the New Zealand-China relationship.

New Zealand exported almost NZ$20 billion in goods to China in the year to December 2025 – close to double the combined total of our next two largest goods markets. China has been our top export destination for more than a decade, and remains our largest source of imports at $18.5 billion, our third-largest source of international visitors, and a significant investor.

Yet the environment around the relationship has rarely been more contested. Washington’s tariff agenda has reshaped global trade flows, with measures on Chinese goods reaching extraordinary levels in 2025 before being walked back through successive truces. The United States Supreme Court has struck down the use of emergency powers to impose tariffs.

Beijing prepares to host APEC later this year, and the Luxon government continues to navigate closer alignment with traditional security partners alongside its commercial commitments to China. For a small, trade-dependent nation, engaging thoughtfully when geopolitics, security and the economic rulebook are all in motion at once is the defining challenge.

In a year when the rules of the game are being rewritten in real time, this is an unmissable event for business and political leaders looking for clarity and a strategic edge.