New Zealand's kiwifruit industry is expected to get the biggest boost from the agreement, which is also expected to offer a larger market for dairy-related exports and for providers of educational services from New Zealand.
Mr Christie is with Prime Minister John Key and New Zealand's 60-person trade delegation in Malaysia which signed the free trade agreement on Monday in Kuala Lumpur.
He said the Malaysian agreement, combined with that of the China agreement, implementation of the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) agreement in January and potential agreements with Korea and India, all signalled significant opportunity for New Zealand businesses.
Trade with Malaysia, which totals about $1 billion, was already up 80% since 2004, and it was expected that by 2017 almost 100% of goods would be duty-free.
"However, we will need to work on taking advantage of these trading platforms Government is providing for business," Mr Christie said in a statement from Malaysia yesterday.
"Trade internationally over the last year has been volatile, but any analysis of potential growth says growth within Asia holds the best prospects for New Zealand exporters," Mr Christie said.
Mr Key said the Malaysian deal built on the free trade agreement which New Zealand and Australia co-signed earlier this year with the 10 countries of Asean, The New Zealand Herald reported.
"If we're going to make a step change in the economy - certainly if we're going to lift exports as a percentage of GDP - the fastest and most effective place to target that growth is Asia."
Tariffs on manufactured goods, including some steel lines, paints, varnishes and plastic products, will be eliminated under the Malaysian pact at a faster pace than under the Asean agreement.
"About 95% of goods will be immediately duty-free, and within seven years, to all intents and purposes, tariffs will be phased out," Mr Key said.
Mr Christie highlighted it was significant that New Zealand's export activity was moving beyond traditional relationships built on product alone and that services were now growing and making an important contribution to the country's export earnings from the Asean group.
Mr Key said a "most favoured nation" clause meant Malaysia would automatically extend to New Zealand exporters the benefits of concessions it makes in subsequent free trade deals with other partners, The New Zealand Herald reported.
