Singapore and New Zealand signed an agreement on Monday to keep supply chains open during the crisis, with both sides saying it could serve as a model for other countries to build a network of trusted partners, The Straits Times reported.
The agreement on trade in essential supplies was signed during New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to Singapore, where he met with his counterpart Lawrence Wong. The pact comes as global energy markets are disrupted by war in the Middle East.
The agreement, first struck during Wong’s visit to New Zealand in October last year, ensures the two countries can continue to trade a set list of essential goods during crises, including fuel, medical supplies and construction-related products, The Straits Times reported.
New Zealand gets about one-third of its fuel needs from Singapore refineries, including diesel used in trucking, agriculture and food production. In return, New Zealand supplies around 14% of Singapore’s food imports, according to New Zealand’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as quoted by The Straits Times.
Milk and dairy products remain New Zealand’s largest export to Singapore, accounting for about 31.6% of total exports, along with fruit and nuts, fats and oils, and meat and offal.
The agreement builds on a comprehensive strategic partnership signed in October 2025 that expands cooperation in trade, security, innovation and supply chain resilience.
Some initiatives under this framework are already underway, including the Singapore-New Zealand Leadership Forum held on May 4, where officials encouraged businesses to strengthen regional partnerships.
“We have long seen the world in a similar way. We believe in openness and cooperation. We have built a deep reservoir of trust over the years. And we don’t just talk about principles, we act on them,” Wong said, according to The Straits Times.
He said discussions with Luxon focused on expanding cooperation under the partnership, including defense and new technologies.
The two countries will continue mutual access to military training facilities and deepen cooperation in areas such as unmanned systems, officials said.
“This will benefit the professional development of both our armed forces,” Wong said.
Luxon said the deal is an example of how like-minded countries could strengthen multilateral cooperation in a changing global order.
“The agreement we signed today as a world first is actually a good example of how we can model and reshape the arguments for multilateralism as we want,” The Straits Times quoted Luxona as saying.
Both leaders said they would welcome more countries joining the framework in the future to strengthen resilient supply chains.
