43 to one
The UK does 0.2% of its trade with New Zealand, making the country’s Kiwi cousins its 43rd largest trade partner. The EU is the UK’s largest by far.
So while gaining a trade deal with NZ is nice, it in no way makes up for the loss of trade with the EU. As I have mentioned time and time again this is already included in HM Treasury’s calculation of Brexit costs and benefits.
EU is a very large minus, NZ is a very small plus. Or in this case not a plus at all.
The government’s own calculations are that the increase in trade that this free trade deal will encourage will add exactly zero to the wealth of the UK.
As Father Ted might have said: NZ is a small country far, far away; the EU is a huge economy very, very near.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.