Trade talks with EU may take years to start, writes Audrey Young.

The debate over this trade agreement has been more intense than any I can remember, writes John Roughan.

There's big trade news coming out of the EU.

The head of NZ's branch of the US Pentagon's missile and fighter jet manufacturer is trying to help Northland companies arm themselves with information to win lucrative contracts with international governments.

The ink is barely dry on the TPP and New Zealand has the prospect of another giant free trade deal in the offing.

Returns from beef exports hit a record high last season surpassing sheepmeat returns for the first time in 20 years, Beef and Lamb NZ says.

I feel for the Labour Party as it angsts over whether to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership, writes Liam Dann. Supporting trade deals has become extremely socially awkward.

The TPP was much more about winning a few tariff reductions, writes Bernard Hickey.

As dust settles on TPP negotiations, much attention will turn to analysing the full text of the agreement and understanding its costs and benefits, writes John Ballingall.

Most people will be more than aware that, like all public relations campaigns, this one will not reveal the full picture.

A group of Silver Fern Farms shareholders who oppose the company's proposed joint venture with Shanghai Maling Aquarius say their offer of a $90 million alternative capital raising proposal remains a live issue just days before the deal goes to the vote.

Editorial: Dairy products might not have gained much easier access to Japan and North America but agricultural exports are firmly in the agreement.

FRAN O'SULLIVAN: Geneva has the WTO. Brussels hosts the European Union. Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership put Auckland on the map?

The agreement provides for the complete elimination of tariffs on New Zealand's exports to TPP nations, but with only partial liberalisation of the dairy trade.

The TPP could be improved after a few years, Trade Minister Tim Groser has said, acknowledging NZ lost against powerful forces that limited dairy sector rewards.

Q & A: Why is this trade agreement such a big deal?

OPINION: Trade Minister conceded a few nasty points but his brinksmanship in TPP negotiations allows him to stare down critics, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Beef exports have hit $3 billion - a record high, driven by international shortages, rising local production, and a falling New Zealand dollar, Statistics NZ said.

China is poised to upgrade its ground-breaking free trade agreement with NZ but becoming in favour of NZ's dairy exporters will be problematic.

Low dairy prices have continued to weigh heavily on farmer sentiment, according to Rabobank's Rural Confidence Survey.

Regulatory niggles facing exporters and an upgrade to NZ's free trade agreement with China will be among the issues discussed at a trade forum in Beijing this week.

Does this morning's big jump in world dairy prices mean an increased payout for farmers? There might be a long way to go.

It will put Silver Fern Farms in a strong position, writes Fran O'Sullivan. But that won't stop the emotion over the injection of Chinese ownership into a company that other players were endeavouring to keep NZ controlled.

Silver Fern Farms says $261m Chinese input will help meat processor forge ahead with a growth strategy.

Silver Fern Farms, the country's biggest meat processor, says its is forming a 50/50 joint partnership with Chinese investors.