New Zealand's distance offers shelter, not economic insulation, Eaqub says

In RNZ's No Stupid Questions excerpt, the economist identifies geopolitics as the biggest risk while pointing to the country's people, land and climate as strengths.

Channel: RNZ Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of RNZ's most watched videos since yesterday, with 3,877 views.

What's the biggest risk for the NZ economy right now? | RNZ

New Zealand may be far from international conflicts, but it cannot escape their economic effects, economist Shamubeel Eaqub tells RNZ. Oil prices and a volatile exchange rate are among the ways events overseas reach the country, regardless of decisions made at home.

"I think the biggest risk for New Zealand right now is geopolitics," he says in an excerpt from the No Stupid Questions podcast. His concern centres on international conflicts and unpredictable policies, forces over which New Zealand has little control.

That exposure matters for an economy heavily dependent on international trade. Geographic distance does not disconnect the country from global markets.

The clip drew roughly 3,900 views since yesterday, making it RNZ's most-watched new upload over that period. It pairs the risk assessment with a more optimistic answer about opportunities.

Eaqub points to potential in both New Zealand's people and its landscape, highlighting abundant land and a climate suited to farming. He also sees an advantage in the same isolation that cannot shield its markets: distance from wars, combined with what he describes as a generally inoffensive national character, makes New Zealand a good place to be amid global turmoil.

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New Zealand's distance offers shelter, not economic insulation, Eaqub says The full story on Trari: https://trari.com/en/story/rnznewzealand-34987/

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The numbers

The economic interview excerpt led viewing among RNZ's new uploads since yesterday.

subscribers

254,000

▲ 1,000 in the last 7 days

total views

153,541,956

views per day

129,466

typical day: 187,278

the video

views

4,499

likes

82

comments

35

days online

1

subscribers: this channel and similar channels

The Sydney Morning Herald…

271,000

The Globe and Mail

267,000

RTÉ News

257,000

RNZ

254,000

Washington Week PBS

248,000

Royal Exclusive

244,000

As of November 12, 2026 · Data source: Trari Social News, Trari Traffic Trends and Ranking Platform, Google YouTube

Subscriber, view, like and comment counts are YouTube's. Rates, usual days, rankings, comparisons and categories are Trari's own calculations.