New Zealand Watching US Commitment

  • John Luxton
Food, Fibre, Biosecurity and Border Control

New Zealand will watch the United States' commitment to free trade with "deep interest" the Minister for Food and Fibre, John Luxton, said on the eve of New Zealand's submission to the US International Trade Commission hearing on access for lamb to the US market.

The ITC today (25 February) begins considering the "remedies" available to the President to safeguard the US sheep industry against what it has determined is a "substantial cause of threat of serious injury" from imports of New Zealand and Australian lamb.

The American sheep industry's problems were internal, not external, Mr Luxton said, and New Zealand farmers should not be penalised for being more efficient than the US lamb industry.

The "remedy" lay with the US sheep industry accepting New Zealand's and Australia's offer to help American farmers to "grow" the market and increase total US consumption of lamb, both domestic and imported.

Mr Luxton said New Zealand had made a written submission to the ITC, and the New Zealand Ambassador, the Rt Hon Jim Bolger, would make a presentation to the hearing later today.