Search

Trade Minister Tim Groser will travel to Geneva this week to attend the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 8th Ministerial Conference.

The 15-17 December conference will consider how to best maintain a robust, rules-based multilateral trading system, further work on trade and development, and how to advance the stalled Doha Round.

“Obviously this has been a difficult year for the Doha negotiations. The Conference is an opportunity to inject fresh thinking on how to make progress in 2012,” Mr Groser says.

Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, and New Zealand Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations, Tim Groser, have welcomed progress on plans to link Australia’s and New Zealand’s emissions trading schemes.

The Ministers agreed that strengthening international carbon markets - including through linking the two emissions trading schemes - would unlock further efficiencies, and contribute to reducing pollution cost-effectively around the globe.

Ambassador Xu, Minister Carter, Distinguished Guests

I am delighted to open this new dairy factory today – the largest infant formula facility of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. I congratulate the senior executives of the NZ company, Synlait Milk, and our Chinese partners, Bright Food Group, one of the largest food and beverage companies in China.

Australia’s Trade Minister, Craig Emerson, and New Zealand’s Minister of Trade, Tim Groser, today welcomed Indonesia’s announcement that it had completed domestic procedures to enable the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) to enter into force for Indonesia. AANZFTA is already in force for Australia, New Zealand and the other nine ASEAN member countries.

The Thailand - New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (TNZCEP) is delivering increased trade between our two countries, Trade Minister Tim Groser announced today.

Since coming into effect on 1 July 2005, bilateral merchandise trade had doubled to NZ$2.086 billion (US$1.58 billion) in the year to June 2011.

“This is a remarkable achievement given the difficult global economic environment in recent years,” Mr Groser said.

Agreement on the broad outlines of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is an important step towards a high-quality free-trade deal that will benefit New Zealand exporters, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Trade Minister Tim Groser say.

Leaders of the nine countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) today agreed on the broad outlines of the free trade agreement, at a meeting hosted by US President Barack Obama in Honolulu on the fringes of the APEC summit. Mr English represented New Zealand on behalf of Prime Minister John Key.

New Zealand Trade Minister, Tim Groser, welcomed the announcement by Mexican Secretary of the Economy, Bruno Ferrari, that Mexico will eliminate its 20% tariff on kiwifruit imports.

Both New Zealand and Mexico are likeminded economies that share the principles of APEC of free and open trade and investment. Both work closely to advance APEC’s agenda, particularly to enhance the competitiveness of both economies. Likewise, Mexico and New Zealand work towards a stronger multilateral trading system.

Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed today’s announcement by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda that Japan will seek to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation.

“Japan is a giant in world trade and economic affairs,” Mr Groser said.

“Having Japan join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a group committed to free trade and closer integration of Asia-Pacific economies, would be of immense significance.

“At a time of uncertainty in the global economy this announcement sends a strong positive message,” he added.

Trade Minister Tim Groser today welcomed Russia’s imminent membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

“New Zealand is extremely supportive of Russia’s imminent membership of the WTO”, Mr Groser said. “We have long advocated for Russia’s membership and have worked hard over many years to bring that about. We were the first developed country to conclude our bilateral goods negotiations for Russia’s accession in 2003.”

The Government is supporting exporters through two changes that widen the scope and accessibility of the New Zealand Export Credit Office's trade guarantees, Finance Minister Bill English and Trade Minister Tim Groser say.

"The Government is focused on lifting New Zealand's exports, so we can build a faster growing economy with higher incomes and more real jobs," Mr English says.

Trade Minister Tim Groser announced today that there is a consensus among World Trade Organisation members to appoint New Zealand’s WTO Ambassador, John Adank, as the new chair of the WTO Doha Round agriculture negotiations.

Mr Adank is expected to be formally elected Chair at the next meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture.

Let me first acknowledge and thank my colleague and friend, the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson, for inviting me to deliver the annual Ralph Hanan memorial lecture.

As you know, this annual lecture is a celebration of the Liberal tradition of the National Party. It honours one of the Party’s greatest liberal minds and practitioners, the Rt Hon Ralph Hanan. I am not the first to observe in this series of lectures that Chris is perhaps the most obvious inheritor of that proud Liberal tradition.

Minister of Trade Hon Tim Groser today welcomed the announcement that agreement had been reached between the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Wellington to explore the feasibility of an economic cooperation agreement between New Zealand and Chinese Taipei.*

“Chinese Taipei is an important trading partner for New Zealand and even after its WTO accession maintains a number of high barriers to our exports” Tim Groser said.

Trade Minister Tim Groser today welcomed a joint New Zealand/South Africa study of trade trends between New Zealand and South Africa.

Hon Rob Davies, South African Minister for Trade & Industry, and Mr Groser announced the study results at a meeting in Stellenbosch.

“This study shines a light on our trading relationship with South Africa. It underlines the ease and value of that trading relationship, but there is potential to increase our current modest levels of trade” Mr Groser says.

Minister of Trade Tim Groser announced today that New Zealand will join a long list of countries accepting an amendment to WTO rules that will make it easier to export generic drugs to developing countries.

It means that countries faced with public health problems, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, can import generic copies of patented drugs if they cannot manufacture the drugs themselves.

“Affordable access to medicines makes a critical difference to developing countries,” Mr Groser says.

Trade Minister Tim Groser welcomed the passage in the United States Congress of the US's Free Trade Agreements with Panama, Colombia, and Korea. The deals were ratified overnight, with (strong) bipartisan support in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Minister of Trade Hon Tim Groser announced today that New Zealand will join other countries in signing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) at an official ceremony arranged by Japan in Tokyo on 1 October.  

ACTA, which aims to curb the growing trade in counterfeit goods and pirated copyright works, covers countries representing half the world’s trade.

The intersection between trade and climate change is a large and open policy space. I want to concentrate today on a helicopter view of the two sets of formal negotiations, one in the WTO and the other in the UN setting of the UNFCCC.

I am, one could say, going back to school here: "compare and contrast the two multilateral economic negotiations in trade and climate change". However, before doing so, let me start with a few comments on some specific examples of work New Zealand is doing in this joined-up policy space with Latin American countries.

Tim Groser, Trade Minister and Minister Responsible for International Climate Change Negotiations, leaves New Zealand tomorrow to attend talks on climate change and trade in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In Pretoria, South Africa, Mr Groser will attend a Ministerial meeting laying the groundwork for the United Nations climate change conference in Durban in December. Mr Groser will chair a session examining the transition to a post-2012 climate change agreement.

Changes to the Rules of Origin under the Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (CER), will reduce costs for exporters Customs Minister Maurice Williamson and Trade Minister Tim Groser say.

The Rules of Origin determine which products are “New Zealand" or "Australian" goods and are able to be exported between the countries free of duty.

The changes were agreed to by the New Zealand and Australian Trade Ministers in June 2010 and take effect today.

Director Li,
Deputy Director Han,
Distinguished guests

I would like to thank the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, and the China Academy of Social Sciences, for the opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by economic integration in the Asia-Pacific.

Imperatives for regional integration

When we address the question of how we should move forward trade and investment integration in the Asia-Pacific, it is obvious that we are discussing a long term strategy.

Minister of Trade, Tim Groser leaves for Indonesia tomorrow to pursue closer economic integration with Asia, followed by trade and climate change talks in China.

In Manado Indonesia, Mr Groser will attend the annual meeting of Economic Ministers involving Trade Ministers from the 10 member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will host Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, in Wellington this week.

“Director-General Lamy's visit comes at a critical point, when members of the WTO are considering how to progress the currently stalled Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.”

The European Union has agreed to allow New Zealand access to a quota for grain-fed high quality beef, Trade Minister Tim Groser announced today.

“New Zealand has been approved to join a list of countries able to access an annual quota of 20,000 tonnes tariff-free (going up to 45,000 tonnes in 2012), which is administered by the EU.”