Chile Available To New Zealand Beef Exporters

It will be possible for the New Zealand meat industry to export beef to Chile, Trade and Agriculture Minister Lockwood Smith announced today.

Chilean Agriculture Minister Carlos Mladinic is in New Zealand to discuss bilateral issues, on his way to this week's Cairns Group meeting in Australia.

He and Dr Smith confirmed today that Chile and New Zealand would sign an agreement setting out technical standards for the bilateral beef trade.

The agreement is expected to be signed by officials in the next few days.

"Previously, New Zealand did not have access to the Chilean beef market because of import conditions which required an arrangement setting out technical standards in bilateral beef trade - an arrangement we didn't have," Dr Smith said. "With the signing of this arrangement, which sets out technical standards for the preparation of beef cuts for export into Chile, meat exporters, who have been keen to enter the Chilean market, now have an opportunity to do so."

In the year to June 1997, New Zealand exported $71 million worth of goods to Chile, while we imported goods worth $39 million.