The United States – New Zealand Council is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting a strong bilateral relationship between the United States and New Zealand.  It is the premier private organization in the United States engaged in encouraging the expansion of trade, investment and commercial ties between the two countries and in the Asia-Pacific region and is a well recognized source of information and support for American companies seeking business opportunities there.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Council’s principal functions are education, research, convening, and building networks. The Council provides information on a range of economic, political, and security issues affecting the two countries and on their increasing collaboration, historical links and shared values, outlooks, and approaches on economic, political, and legal systems. 

The Council hosts receptions, luncheons, dinners, conferences, and seminars involving visiting NZ officials and American leaders which further understanding, broaden networks and facilitate cultural exchanges. The Council's signature event is the highly praised US-NZ Partnership Forum.  Following forums in Washington in 2006 and Auckland in 2007, and again in Washington in 2009, the fourth Forum will take place in Christchurch on 20 - 22 of February 2011. 

The Council also affords members the opportunity to participate in a range of events in Washington and New York involving congressional leaders and their NZ counterparts, business leaders from the two countries, and cultural and academic dignitaries with links to New Zealand.  The reverse is true as well, with in-country support provided to Americans visiting New Zealand or seeking broader links in the Asia-Pacific region.  In addition to the Partnership Forum, in recent years the Council has hosted dinners for Prime Ministers Helen Clark and John Key, luncheon roundtables for visiting NZ Foreign, Trade, and Defense Ministers, and Torchbearer Award Dinners to honor the contributions of distinguished New Zealanders and Americans providing global leadership on issues of importance to both nations.

The Council works closely with the business communities, government agencies and legislatures in both countries to demonstrate the mutual benefit of and to build support for free trade, bilaterally and in the Asia-Pacific.  With a NZ counterpart, the NZUS Council, the Council commissioned and funded a strategic study from CSIS, prepared in conjunction with the NZ Institute of International Affairs, on five areas of cooperation, bilaterally and in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region in which the interests of the two countries increasingly converge:  trade and investment; security cooperation; science, technology and education links; socio-cultural ties; and transnational issues (including climate change, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, nuclear non-proliferation, and global health) for presentation at the 2011 Partnership Forum. 

In 2005 the Council played an important role in supporting the efforts of Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona) and Ellen Tauscher (D-California) to establish the Friends of New Zealand Congressional Caucus in the House of Representations.  The Council continues close cooperation with their successors, Kevin Brady (R - Texas) and Rick Larsen (D-Washington). 

The Council regularly interacts with business and trade associations on issues of importance to the US and New Zealand, most notably since 2008 as a member of the steering committee of the US Business Coalition for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.  These associations include the US Chamber, American Chamber in New Zealand, Emergency Committee For American Trade (ECAT), National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Coalition of Service Industries (CSI), Council of the Americas, and the National Center for APEC.

In all areas, the Council works closely with the US and NZ business communities and maintains contacts with the NZ government and its US Embassy, US Government departments and agencies involved in foreign affairs, commerce, trade and international finance, and interested Members and committees of Congress.

A board of distinguished Americans and New Zealanders from corporate, political and cultural life provide policy direction to Council President and CEO William Maroni. The Council also periodically draws on eminent members of its Advisory Board for support and advice.  Council membership includes many of America’s leading corporations with business interests in New Zealand as well as New Zealand companies with links to the United States. Thirty-four of the 38 Council members and sponsors of recent Council events are US or multinational companies; four are NZ entities.