ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Singapore, New Zealand Agree to Keep Vital Supplies Flowing in Times of Crisis

The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies, which was agreed in October, is the world’s first legally-binding bilateral supply chain resilience agreement.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shakes hands with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during their meeting in Singapore, May 4, 2026.

Singapore and New Zealand yesterday signed a first-of-its-kind agreement to ensure the continuing trade of essential goods, including fuel and food, in times of crisis.

The agreement was signed in Singapore by Tan See Leng, Singapore’s minister-in-charge of energy, science, and technology, and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment. Todd McClay, in the presence of the two nations’ prime ministers.

The agreement commits both countries not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on critical goods, including food, fuel, healthcare products, and chemical and construction materials. It also establishes a framework to facilitate the movement of goods between the two nations, and to consult each other before or during supply chain disruptions, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the two nations had made a promise to “not shut each other out” and to “work actively to keep trade moving.”

“This matters, because in difficult times, every country will be tempted to look inward,” he said. “But when that happens, supply chains break down and everyone ends up worse off.”

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon noted that a third of his country’s fuel is ​refined in Singapore, and that the agreement would keep “fuel flowing to New Zealand when it matters most.” New Zealand is also an important source of food imports for Singapore.

The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies, as it is officially known, is the world’s “first legally-binding bilateral supply chain resilience agreement,” and both leaders said that they would welcome other countries to adopt its........

© The Diplomat