New Zealand is fundamentally a trading nation. Our broad international trade ties are part of the reason we are doing so well today.
Our economy is growing more strongly than most other developed countries, with the average wage up 26 per cent since National took office and more than 370,000 new jobs were created since the height of the global financial crisis.
However, it's really important we don't take our trading nation status for granted. We need to continue to forge new and improved ties with the rest of the world to ensure we sustain that success. And we must try to earn more for our products by adding value, whether that value comes from the further processing or crafting of raw materials, or from selling our image and reputation as a country, along with our products.
The opportunities presented to us through trading with the world are immense. We know we won't get rich by selling things to ourselves. But we might by selling them to the world.
Successive New Zealand governments have finalised trade agreements with a number of countries including Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea and China and they're all working well for our exporters.