New Zealand is ranked 11th in the world by the World Economic Forum for the extent to which it has institutions and policies for enabling trade.

In its just released Global Enabling Trade Report for 2009, the forum said this country's highly efficient and transparent border administration contributed to its ranking.

Other factors were very low tariffs for agricultural products and transparent border administration, although exports faced high barriers, the report said.

"The country's regulatory environment is characterised by fairly good ratings on ethics and a low level of corruption, as well as an effective domestic competition policy, though obstacles still persist in hiring foreign labour and regulation of FDI (foreign direct investment).

"Upgrading the quality of infrastructure, especially roads and railroads, would be beneficial to further facilitate a smooth flow of goods both across borders and to destinations inside the country," the report said.

Singapore is at the top of the enabling trade index rankings for 2009, followed by Hong Kong and Switzerland. Of the next seven spots, six are filled by European countries, broken up by Canada in sixth place.

Australia is in 14th place, the United States in 16th, and Britain in 20th.

Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly said New Zealand's ranking was a testament to this country's openness to international trade, sound institutions and services, and hard work over decades to get good trade deals with other countries.

"New Zealand's score would be even higher if not for the barriers erected in a number of countries against agricultural exports."