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State Owned Enterprises Minister Todd McClay called for nominations for the Boards of Airways Ltd, AsureQuality Ltd, Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd (MetService), and Quotable Value New Zealand Ltd (QV). 

Mr McClay says he is particularly looking for high calibre individuals, with strong commercial skills and is keen to receive applications from a diverse range of New Zealanders, particularly women, who are under-represented.

Minister for Women, Louise Upston is also encouraging a greater number of women to put themselves forward for consideration.

Trade Minister Todd McClay has today reiterated that the Government has sought and received assurances from the Chinese Government that any competition issues would not impact on trade between the two countries.

Mr McClay is responding to reports that retaliatory action could be imposed if an investigation is launched into allegations of steel dumping.

“On my return from Indonesia I asked my office for a full review of the broader issues around this matter.

Trade Minister Todd McClay says the Prime Minister’s high-level New Zealand business delegation to Indonesia have signed deals worth more than NZ$60 million on the official two-day visit.

“This signals the increasing importance of business between the two countries, where two-way trade sits at $1.6 billion and is rapidly climbing,” says Mr McClay.

The six deals were signed between companies in the aviation, energy and e-commerce sectors.

Trade Minister Todd McClay is traveling to Indonesia today to join the Prime Minister and a high-level business delegation for a two-day official visit.

“Indonesia is an important trade partner for New Zealand, and as our 11th largest export market offers significant trading opportunities. 

“Our two-way trade currently sits at $1.6 billion, and we're keen to explore ways to meet the target set by the two countries last year to boost trade to $4 billion by 2024,” says Mr McClay.

Trade Minister Todd McClay says outcomes of the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting held in Shanghai 9-10 July, are likely to be extremely important for New Zealand's trade interests. 

"This was a positive meeting for our core interests in trade and investment,” says Mr McClay.

"There is a clear political will to build on the successes of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Nairobi Ministerial last year, which agreed to eliminate agricultural export subsidies, and to make progress towards concluding an Environmental Goods Agreement." 

Trade Minister Todd McClay has received strong assurances that New Zealand's trade interests will not be adversely affected as a result of the Brexit vote. 

Mr McClay has met the European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Cecelia Malmström, United Kingdom (UK) Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Price, and trade and economic ministers from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands at the G20 trade ministers meeting in Shanghai this weekend.

Trade Minister Todd McClay will take the opportunity at this weekend’s G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Shanghai to promote New Zealand’s trade interests with the biggest economies in the world.

“New Zealand’s invitation to be part of the G20 process demonstrates the mutually shared value of our relationship with China, and the standing which New Zealand has built up over decades as a proponent of an open world trade system. 

Trade Minister Todd McClay leaves for Latin America today to participate in the Pacific Alliance Summit meetings held this week in Puerto Varas, Chile, on 29-30 June.
 
New Zealand is an Observer of the Pacific Alliance - a Latin American regional integration grouping comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, which accounts for more than a third of GDP in Latin America.
 
“New Zealand has a strong relationship with the Pacific Alliance and shares their objective of open markets and regional integration. 

Trade Minister Todd McClay says he is seeking meetings with trade ministers from the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) to discuss the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

“I expect to meet with many of my European counterparts at the G20 meeting in Shanghai, 9-10 July, and I have already requested meetings with key ministers and the EU Trade Commissioner to discuss New Zealand’s best way forward, in light of the referendum result,” says Mr McClay.

Trade Minister Todd McClay is urging trade negotiators to be more adventurous and ambitious, warning the government will only sign up to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) if it delivers tangible benefits for New Zealand.

His comments come following the conclusion of this week's RCEP negotiation in Auckland. 

Earlier this week, Mr McClay welcomed more than 500 trade delegates in Auckland for the latest round of negotiations and challenged them to make real progress in their negotiations.

Trade Minister Todd McClay is encouraging members of the business community and civil society representatives to have their say on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and says there will be plenty of time available for a frank conversation. 

Mr McClay says there is still time to register for public sessions on the negotiations, which he announced at the beginning of June.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) will host the public discussion in Wellington on 22 June and Auckland on 28 June.

Trade Minister Todd McClay has used his speech to 500 trade delegates at today’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiation in Auckland to encourage negotiators to open their markets and be more ambitious.

In welcoming representatives from the 16 strong RCEP group of countries, Mr McClay said only through greater liberalisation and a focus on reducing non-tariff measures would the full benefits of the agreement be delivered for New Zealanders and the three billion people in RCEP countries. 

Trade Minister Todd McClay has announced further details of the stakeholder events being held in Auckland during the next round of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade negotiations.

“I have been clear that I wish to see more engagement with the public around New Zealand’s trade agreements,” Mr McClay says.

“With that in mind the public session which will outline the RCEP negotiations on Tuesday 14 June from 5.30pm in Auckland will be livestreamed on the MFAT website.

Trade Minister Todd McClay has announced public sessions on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) in June, following attending a TiSA Ministerial meeting in the margins of the OECD Ministerial Conference in Paris.

Services are an important part of New Zealand’s economy, accounting for two-thirds of economic activity and 70 per cent of employment. New Zealand’s service sector exports were worth NZ$20 billion in 2015, almost 30 per cent of our total exports of goods and services.

Trade Minister Todd McClay and counterparts from six WTO members today released a statement at the OECD Ministerial Conference in Paris welcoming the progress that has been made towards an Environmental Goods Agreement.

The seven members involved are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States.

“The elimination of tariffs on environmental goods is a real contribution the global trading community can make to protect the environment,” says Mr McClay. 

Trade Minister Todd McClay has invited the Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute (AYLI) to regularly meet with him, as part of his commitment for more engagement on trade.

Minister McClay today met with representatives from the AYLI at the OECD annual Meeting of Council at Ministerial level (MCM) and Forum, in Paris.

“I was impressed by the commitment and calibre of the delegation, and have offered AYLI representatives regular meetings to continue discussions on important trade issues”, says Mr McClay.

The 2016 Budget invests an additional $4.6 million over four years into FTA (Free Trade Agreement) implementation.

Trade Minister McClay says this new investment will support New Zealand businesses in extracting full value from New Zealand’s network of FTA Agreements.

“New Zealand currently has FTAs with economies that account for more than half our trade. This will increase to 70 per cent once the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) enters into force. 

Trade Minister Todd McClay leaves for Europe today to attend the annual Ministerial Council Meeting of the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

“This is a valuable opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen the contribution of trade and investment to lifting productivity and reducing inequality”, says Mr McClay.

“The OECD’s evidence-based research and policy recommendations provide an excellent basis for taking this discussion forward.”

Trade Minister Todd McClay says he intends to invite public discussion on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade negotiation as part of the 13th round of the negotiation to be held in Auckland from 12-18 June.

RCEP represents significant trade and investment opportunity for New Zealand. It covers 16 countries with a combined population of more than three billion people and represents 27 per cent of global trade worth $12.7 trillion annually.

Trade Minister Todd McClay today announced the opening of the Bogota, Colombia office of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).

“Colombia is an increasingly important partner for New Zealand and New Zealand businesses,” says Mr McClay.

“The country has a strong economy and a strategically important location between Central and South America. Thus, having a New Zealand presence on the ground will help New Zealand businesses to be more effective in building links with businesses in Colombia,” says Mr McClay.

Trade Minister Todd McClay leaves for South America this weekend to attend the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) on 17-18 May in Peru and then to visit Bogota, Colombia, on 19 May. 

APEC Trade Ministers will be focusing on Peru’s themes of ‘Quality of Growth and Human Development’ with a particular focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), trade in services, and advancing the collective vision of the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).  

Trade Minister Todd McClay has welcomed the first reading of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement Amendment Bill in Parliament today.

It will now be considered by the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. 

“Successive New Zealand governments have pursued free trade agreements to support New Zealand’s global connectedness, maximise opportunities for exporters, and in turn  grow the prosperity of the economy for the benefit of all New Zealanders. TPP is the latest in this legacy,” says Mr McClay

Trade Minister Todd McClay says the Waitangi Tribunal's finding that the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) does not breach the Treaty of Waitangi, along with today’s MYOB survey on TPP demonstrates growing support for free trade agreements in New Zealand.

“Grant Robertson and Andrew Little need to tell Phil Goff, David Shearer, and their regional MPs why Labour has turned its back on the seafood, wine, kiwifruit, horticulture, forestry, meat, dairy, manufacturing, export education, ICT, and tourism industries,” says Mr McClay.

Minister of Trade Todd McClay has welcomed the introduction of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement Amendment Bill to Parliament as an omnibus Bill.

“TPP is important for New Zealand because it will remove barriers to trade for exporters of New Zealand goods and services in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Mr McClay. 

“Although most of the obligations in TPP can be met by New Zealand’s existing domestic legal and policy regime, some changes are required.