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Story: Customs and tariffs

Robert Muldoon signs CER

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Robert Muldoon signs CER

Prime Minister Robert Muldoon signs the Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement in December 1983, watched by Australian High Commissioner James Webster (standing), Australian Deputy Prime Minister Doug Anthony (on the screen) and Minister of Trade and Industry Hugh Templeton (seated, left). CER replaced the earlier New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It represented a new effort by New Zealand to reduce or eliminate tariffs with other countries, and to find markets to replace Britain, which had joined the EEC.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1982/4383/11

by Ross Giblin

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Tony Simpson, Customs and tariffs – Tariffs and the GATT, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/22580/robert-muldoon-signs-cer (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Tony Simpson, published 12 April 2010.