What did CER replace?
CER replaced, and went far beyond, the so-called New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that had been in force since 1 January 1966. Although NAFTA grew out of a renewed interest by New Zealand and Australia in each other’s markets, and in that sense it was intended to be of mutual advantage, it had various shortcomings. The bureaucratic process of nominating large lists of products for inclusions un “free trade” schedules contrasts sharply with the comprehensive principle of CER, which is that everything is included unless specifically excluded.
