
Ease of doing business
theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:
Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.
Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.

Implications
Here is an update on the US tariffs and their impact on New Zealand, as of October 2025:
US Tariffs Update on New Zealand
Area | Status (October 2025) | Key Details |
Reciprocal US Tariff Rate | 15% (Implemented since August 7, 2025) | This general tariff applies to most New Zealand goods, up from the initial 10% "baseline tariff" implemented in April 2025. The rate hike was applied to countries with a goods trade surplus with the US. |
Trade Deals/Agreements | No Free Trade Agreement (FTA) | New Zealand does not have an FTA with the United States. New Zealand is currently engaging with US officials to challenge the tariff increase. |
Targeted Sector Tariffs | Multiple High Rates Implemented | New Zealand is also subject to new, separate tariffs on specific products under "national security" investigations (Section 232). These tariffs are in addition to the standard MFN tariff rate but do not stack on the reciprocal tariff: |
- Steel & Aluminum: 50% (Increased from 25%) | ||
- Copper & Derivatives: 50% (Effective August 1, 2025) | ||
- Autos & Auto Parts: 25% | ||
- Timber/Softwood Lumber: 10% (Effective October 14, 2025) | ||
"De Minimis" Exemption | Suspended (Effective August 29, 2025) | Shipments valued under US$800, which were previously duty-free, are now subject to the applicable tariff rates. |
Companies and Sector Impact in New Zealand
The new US tariff regime has created significant uncertainty and cost pressures for New Zealand exporters:
Forestry and Timber: The recently announced 10% tariff on timber and softwood lumber (effective Oct 14) is highly disruptive. The industry has warned of a considerable negative financial impact, as the US is a critical market for New Zealand's sawn timber and value-added forest products (e.g., radiata pine). Shares of leading timber companies have reflected investor concerns over reduced export demand.
Agricultural Exports: The blanket 15% reciprocal tariff puts New Zealand's agricultural exports at a disadvantage compared to competitors like Australia and the UK, which have a lower US tariff rate of 10% (due to previous trade agreements). This increases the cost for US importers, potentially shifting demand to other markets.
Metals and Manufacturing: Companies exporting steel, aluminum, and copper products face tariffs of 50%, making their products uncompetitive in the US market. While these sectors are smaller parts of New Zealand's total exports, the impact on the affected businesses is severe.
General Exporters/E-Commerce: The suspension of the "de minimis" exemption means that small businesses, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and low-value shipments are now subject to duties, adding complexity and cost to all transactions.
New Zealand trade officials are actively engaging with the U.S. government to mitigate the impact of the tariffs
US Revised Tariffs
Country Tariffs
Balance of Trade
Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Tariff Rate for US
World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.
US Imports Guide
United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.
Investing in USA
theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters
Sources : Forbes | USDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia | International Trade Administration
theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

Economic
Relevance
Ranking
State | Info | Overall Rank | Agri | Innov | Mfg | Employ | Tax | Edu | GDP | F500 Rep | Trade Balance | Cost of Living | Disp Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 13 | |
North Carolina | 2 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 41 | 17 | 17 | |
Virginia | 3 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 34 | 35 | 3 | |
Florida | 4 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 30 | 37 | |
Washington | 5 | 16 | 3 | 36 | 28 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 1 | |
Missouri | 6 | 11 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 32 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 20 | |
Georgia | 7 | 15 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 26 | 34 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 26 | 19 | |
Minnesota | 8 | 6 | 10 | 47 | 6 | 44 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 9 | |
Ohio | 9 | 12 | 32 | 7 | 30 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 15 | 11 | |
Illinois | 10 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 32 | 7 |