NZ PM Luxon on official visit to S’pore from May 3 to 5; to witness trade pact on essential supplies

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will visit Jurong Island, along with Changi Naval Base and Gardens by the Bay.SINGAPORE - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will be in Singapore from May 3 to 5 to witness both countries deepen their partnership through an agreement that will ensure trade flows of essential supplies.His three-day official visit builds upon a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) inked by the two countries in October 2025, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on May 3. Both sides had pledged to cooperate more closely on a wide range of areas such as trade, security, innovation and supply chain resilience.On May 4, Mr Luxon and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will hold the inaugural Annual Leaders’ Meeting and witness the signing of the Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies, said the ministry. They will also speak at a joint press conference.This legally binding agreement, first announced during the pair’s October 2025 meeting in New Zealand, is to minimise the impact of supply chain disruptions and ensure that critical goods such as food, fuel and medicine will continue to flow between Singapore and New Zealand even during crises.Both countries already kept trade flows unimpeded during the Covid-19 pandemic. Food like eggs, fruit, and meat were flown from New Zealand to Singapore, and essential products were flown in both directions, including medical supplies from Singapore.PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, and Mr Luxon will also deliver remarks at the opening ceremony of Singapore-New Zealand Leadership Forum.The forum is a platform for senior C-suite leaders from both countries to discuss trade and investment opportunities.Mr Luxon’s visit is the latest in a series of high-level engagements between both countries.Besides the signing of the CSP in Auckland in October 2025, the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting a month later. In March 2026, PM Wong had a phone call with Mr Luxon to discuss developments in the Middle East.MFA said the New Zealand leader will be hosted to lunch by PM Wong on May 4. During his visit, Mr Luxon will also make a stop at ExxonMobil and JTC Corporation’s gallery on Jurong Island, Changi Naval Base and Gardens by the Bay.On May 5, Mr Luxon will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and meet with Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng.The two countries share a longstanding relationship. Singapore’s first-ever bilateral free trade agreement, which entered into force in January 2001, was with New Zealand.In 2025, New Zealand was Singapore’s 31st largest goods trading partner, while Singapore was New Zealand’s ninth-largest export destination and the sixth-largest import origin economy.In recent months, Singapore has taken active steps with partners in the region to strengthen its energy and supply chain resilience.Earlier in April, Singapore and Australia committed to keeping essential goods such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and refined petroleum products flowing between the countries. The countries also said they would accelerate negotiations on an arrangement for trade in essential supplies.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had also toured Jurong Island, where he met top executives from Singapore LNG Corporation and the Singapore Refining Company.Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here