11 Apr 2016

China FTA upgrade would have financial benefits - PM

8:52 pm on 11 April 2016

Prime Minister John Key says an upgrade to the China-New Zealand free trade agreement would significantly benefit the country's economy.

Mr Key will lead a high-level trade delegation to China this weekend and is planning to discuss the eight-year-old trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr Key says two-way trade with China is now worth nearly $19 billion, but it could be more.

He says New Zealand is still paying a lot of tariffs on its products going into China.