Search

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Associate Trade Minister Todd McClay will today join senior business and government representatives at the second New Zealand-China Partnership Forum in Beijing.

“The New Zealand-China Partnership Forum is an important platform for deepening and strengthening the economic and political relationship between our two countries. This Forum will build on the successful inaugural Forum held in 2013, which I attended alongside Prime Minister John Key and several of my ministerial colleagues,” Mr Joyce says.

Todd McClay, Minister of Revenue and State Owned Enterprises, and Associate Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs, departs this Sunday for a six-day visit to China, including Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, Mr McClay will meet with the Secretary of Commerce and New Zealand exporters to discuss the opportunities for strengthening the trade and investment relationship. 

From Hong Kong, Mr McClay will travel to Beijing, where he will meet with senior Chinese leadership, including Vice-Premier Wang Yang and a counterpart in China's Ministry of Commerce.

Strengthening key market relationships and diversifying into new markets is a major theme for the update of the Export Markets workstream of the Business Growth Agenda released by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Trade Minister Tim Groser in Auckland this morning.

The Minister of Trade Tim Groser says the signing of an open skies air services agreement with Qatar will provide improved air links between our two countries and the wider countries of the Gulf.

The Minister signed the agreement for New Zealand today during his visit to Qatar.

“Qatar is at the centre of one the world’s most dynamic regions for international air travel.  The opportunity now exists for Qatar Airways to serve New Zealand and this would be a welcome development,” says Mr Groser.

Trade Minister Tim Groser announced today that the members of the World Trade Organisation have appointed New Zealand’s WTO Ambassador, Vangelis Vitalis, as the new Chair of the WTO Doha Round agriculture negotiations.

Mr Vitalis was formally elected Chair at a meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture held in Geneva today.

Trade Minister Tim Groser departs Saturday 5 September for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, with meetings planned to strengthen the wider trade and economic relationship in both countries and to promote the finalisation of a free trade agreement with the Gulf states.

A key feature of the visit will see Mr Groser co-chair the fifth meeting of the UAE-New Zealand Joint Economic Commission in Abu Dhabi alongside Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy.

Trade Minister Tim Groser travels to Malaysia tonight for a series of meetings including the third Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting, the annual East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting, and ASEAN Economic Ministers’ consultations with New Zealand and Australia.

“The Kuala Lumpur meetings are an important point of engagement for New Zealand with ASEAN and the wider Asian region,” says Mr Groser.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Trade Minister Tim Groser have welcomed New Zealand’s accession to the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), which came into effect today.

“Kiwi companies now have more opportunities to do business with governments internationally than ever before”, says Mr Joyce.

Trade Minister Tim Groser is disappointed that the TPP negotiations were unable to reach a conclusion today, but TPP ministers collectively pledged to meet again as soon as possible to finalise the deal.

"Good progress was made this week, but a number of challenging issues remain, including intellectual property and market access for dairy products", Mr Groser said.

“We will continue to work toward a successful conclusion. This is about getting the best possible deal for New Zealand, not a deal at any cost.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed an agreement reached in Geneva to lower tariffs on over 200 IT related products, building on the WTO’s 1996 Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (ITA).

Address to the Institute of International and European Affairs Leadership Forum on Climate-Smart Agriculture, 16 July 2015

It is a great pleasure to be in Dublin – it always is. I have visited Dublin regularly since my first visit in the early 1980s and my visits are always focussed on agriculture.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Trade Minister Tim Groser today announced that New Zealand has finalised its accession to the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), and it will come into effect next month.

New Zealand businesses will have guaranteed access to bid for an estimated US$1.7 trillion in annual overseas government contracts through joining the GPA, which creates new opportunities for Kiwi businesses to export more products and services to more destinations, Mr Joyce says.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will this month attend the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) meeting in Malaysia, before moving on to Europe to promote a future New Zealand-European Union free trade agreement and to further climate change negotiations.

“The RCEP ministerial and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur will be a chance to influence negotiations to keep the momentum going,” says Mr Groser.

Associate Minister of Trade Todd McClay says a new Fonterra ingredients factory in the Netherlands, opened yesterday by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, marks an exciting step forward in agribusiness collaboration between New Zealand and the Netherlands.

Trade Minister Tim Groser today welcomed the conclusions of the 5^th World Trade Organisation Trade Policy Review of New Zealand.

“Once again NZ has been highly commended by the WTO for maintaining an open and transparent trade policy regime”, says Mr Groser.

“New Zealand’s last review occurred in 2009 at the time of the Global Financial Crisis.  The review has highlighted how the Government’s sensible economic policies are taking New Zealand in the right direction.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser departs today for Peru to attend the Pacific Alliance Summit in Paracas, Peru from 1-3 July.

New Zealand is an observer member of the Pacific Alliance, a Latin American regional integration grouping established in 2011 with four member states - Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. 

I would like to thank our two co-chairs, the Hon Simon Power, Chair of the NZ-US Council and Stu Van Soyoc, President of the US-based counterpart organisation for assuming joint responsibility for the Partnership Forum. I think it is a great idea for us to get together once a year with Government, media, business and other stakeholders to take a helicopter view of the relationship.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Trade Minister Tim Groser today announced new appointments and reappointments to the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Board.

Wayne Norrie and Charlotte Walshe are new appointments to the Board. Andrew Ferrier (Chair), Charles Finny, Karen Fistonich and Robin Hapi have been reappointed to the Board, and Julie Christie and Karl Wixon have been reappointed to the New Zealand Story Advisory Board.

Minister of Revenue and Associate Trade Minister, Todd McClay has concluded a European lobbying mission by signing a tax agreement in Paris to focus on tax avoidance by multinationals.

Tax Agreement

The OECD's Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement brings New Zealand closer to participating in the global standard for an automatic exchange of information between tax authorities.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will represent New Zealand at the OECD’s annual Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) and Forum in Paris from 2 – 4 June.

“The forum and MCM is an opportunity for ministers to discuss a range of global challenges faced by many countries such as high unemployment, social inclusion, and low economic growth,” says Mr Groser.

“Themes at this year’s forum will invite discussion on how we can assist to address these issues through investment and innovation, trade and improving the business environment.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser welcomes the approval of legislation by the United States Senate that would grant Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).

TPA would allow the President to propose trade agreements that the US Congress can either approve or reject, but not change. The Senate voted to pass the bill 62 to 37 with bipartisan support.

“The passage of TPA through the Senate is a welcome development, however the bill still needs to be approved by the US House of Representatives" says Mr Groser.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will depart tonight for Boracay, Philippines to represent the New Zealand Government at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) on 22-24 May.

APEC Trade Ministers will be focusing on the Philippines theme of “building inclusive economies” through specific work streams on: regional economic integration, fostering SME participation in the global economy, developing human capital and building sustainable communities.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Trade Minister Tim Groser today announced changes designed to strengthen government investment in developing New Zealand’s export sector via the International Growth Fund.

The Fund invests up to $30 million annually as part of a package of targeted and tailored services from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) that help exporters accelerate growth in international markets. 

Trade Minister Tim Groser will today depart for Mexico to attend the 2015 World Economic Forum (WEF) Latin American meeting from 6-8 May.

The forum will be attended by many leaders, particularly from around the Americas, with the overarching purpose to observe how Latin America can secure its long-term economic growth and social development.

“Mexico has made a number of reforms in areas such as education, energy, fiscal and telecommunications legislation – which are already creating new opportunities,” says Mr Groser.