Reserve Bank of New Zealand Deputy Governor Geoff Bascand speaking on New Zealand's net foreign liabilities: What lies beneath, and ahead?

  • Says net foreign liabilities as a share of GDP lowest since 2009, makes economy less vulnerable to shocks

(via Reuters news)

More:

  • "New Zealand's net foreign liabilities - what we owe to the rest of the world, broadly speaking - reached nearly 85 percent of GDP at the start of 2009 but now they are down to 58.5 percent of GDP, their lowest level since the late-1980s"
  • "New Zealand has become less reliant on offshore funding over the past decade, and the maturity of bank borrowing has lengthened, reducing the risks from a potential funding shock"
  • Mr Bascand warned that New Zealand's net foreign liabilities as a share of GDP is still relatively high internationally

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here is a link to the full text: Reserve Bank says lower external debt is encouraging but some risks remain