The NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was announced yesterday. The UK government’s statement at the outset of negotiations that having a “shared” head of state was a feature of the agreement, which is clearly not the case. It’s clear that our membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is what has got this agreement across the line. The UK wants to join CPTPP, and we’re the repository of the agreement.

Reactions to the agreement have ranged from pragmatic to, weirdly, Anglophiles celebrating the return of pre-1973 New Zealand. For example, Newshub reported:

It might surprise some Kiwis that New Zealand didn't already have free trade with the UK, given our deep ties of history and culture, and the fact that Queen Elizabeth II is our head of state.

This reflects the ignorance we often encounter, encouraged by Anglophiles who would love nothing more than to bring back the British Empire. But in a way in confirms what we already know - the monarchy does nothing for us internationally, and, as former Diplomat Peter Hamilton has articulated, having our own head of state would have clear benefits in terms of trade and diplomacy.

The fact is though that Aotearoa in 2021 is not the same country as it was in 1973. Our trade is more diversified, even though we do have a large market (China) that dominates trade. Because of this, we are still out in the world negotiating other FTAs - the next major one is with the European Union, which the signing of the NZ-UK FTA will put in focus for both sides.