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Trade Minister Tim Groser will attend the Pacific Alliance Ministerial Meeting and Head of State Summit in Cali, Colombia on 22 and 23 May.

“This is the first meeting New Zealand has attended since being granted observer status to the fast-growing Latin America economic bloc known as the Pacific Alliance, which includes Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru,” says Mr Groser.

“As an observer, New Zealand will be better placed to build on our existing relationships, and to share experiences and learning on integration within the Asia-Pacific region.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will travel to Washington tomorrow for the fifth US-NZ Partnership Forum next week.

“The US-NZ Partnership Forum provides the opportunity to further the relationship between New Zealand and the US and to expose New Zealand businesses to US Government contacts,” Mr Groser says.

“My visit is also an opportunity to continue our Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) discussions with the US.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser today congratulated Roberto Carvalho de Azevedo on his appointment by consensus as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“As one of the nine candidates nominated for the position of Director General, I was gratified by the fair hearing I received from WTO members. The campaign provided a unique opportunity to talk with members and groupings in the WTO and to hear their views on the Doha process.

New Zealand is the formal administrator, or legal ‘Depositary’ of the TPP Agreement. This reflects the real negotiating history of TPP, which started as a strategic decision by Singapore and NZ to negotiate a bilateral FTA in the 1990s with precisely this concept – a wider Asia Pacific FTA - in mind. That led eventually to P4 and, in turn, to TPP today.

Trade Minister Tim Groser is pleased to make the following statement on behalf of the eleven members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States of America and Viet Nam today welcomed Japan as a new participant in negotiations to conclude a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

Trade Minister Tim Groser today confirmed that New Zealand had completed its bilateral consultations with Japan on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will tomorrow travel to Surabaya, Indonesia to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade.

The meeting will be hosted by Indonesia on 20-21 April and the focus will be on ‘A Resilient Asia-Pacific, Engine of Global Growth’.

“Caribbean countries face great challenges as they seek to access international markets for their export industries.   The WTO must do more to assist them to access the benefits of the multilateral trading system,” Mr Groser says.

Let me start with a statement of principle. It’s about the relatively open trade and payments system that we have inherited. It has flaws and shortcomings. There are many vulnerable developing countries at early stages of development that have yet to enjoy its real benefits. For all that, this relatively open system has served three generations of our predecessors well.

“Making sure the World Trade Organisation's rules and commitments work for the benefit of all developing countries will be one of the key challenges for the next Director-General,” says Trade Minister Tim Groser at the end of a visit to Africa.

Mr Groser was speaking from Nigeria on a five-day visit to Africa to discuss his candidature for Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 

Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed the new Treaty Protocol on Wine Labelling, agreed today by members of the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG).

In 2007, the WWTG negotiated a Treaty on Wine Labelling which set new standards in the field. The Protocol takes this further by requiring participant countries to allow the importation and sale of wine from other signatories, provided it meets minimum standards for labelling (relating to alcohol tolerance, variety, vintage and wine region), and the exporting country’s laws and regulations.

Acting Minister of Trade Steven Joyce has welcomed the 15 March announcement by Japanese Prime Minister Abe of Japan’s interest in joining the negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).

“This expression of interest by one of the region’s largest economic players is consistent with the vision of TPP serving as a platform for broader regional economic integration in Asia-Pacific.”

Hon Tim Groser, the New Zealand Minister of Trade and a candidate for the position of WTO Director General, called on his counterpart, the Hon Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo  today and discussed a range of regional and multilateral trade issues.  Samoa is the first stop by Minister Groser in a wider visit to the Pacific.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will depart for a five-day visit to Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu today to discuss trade issues as well as his candidature for WTO Director-General role.

“We are an important trading partner for many of our Pacific neighbours,” says Mr Groser. “Therefore this visit will be an opportunity to meet my counterparts in these five nations and discuss New Zealand’s trade and economic relationship with them.”

The government is inviting submissions on upcoming negotiations for the 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Free Trade Agreement.

In November 2012, Prime Minister John Key joined other leaders from Australia, the 10 ASEAN states, China, India, Korea and Japan, to launch the RCEP Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed the OECD-WTO’s estimates of “Trade in Value-Added” at the launch of the new database in Paris.

“This new data estimates trade in value-added terms, which helps convey the interdependencies of global value chains and reveal who ultimately benefits from trade,” Mr Groser says.

“Engaging internationally is crucial to all countries’ future prosperity. New Zealand is especially well connected to global value chains in the agriculture and food sectors.”

Trade and Climate Change Issues Minister Tim Groser will depart for Europe today to attend international trade and climate change meetings.

The focus of Mr Groser’s visit will be the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland from 23-27 January, along with meetings in Geneva.

Justice Minister, Judith Collins, and Trade Minister, Tim Groser, have welcomed the European Commission’s formal declaration that New Zealand privacy law provides an adequate standard of data protection for the purposes of European Union (EU) law.

European Union countries can now send personal data to New Zealand for processing without the need for extra controls.

Ms Collins says New Zealand is one of only five countries outside Europe to receive this level of recognition and trust and this is a vote of confidence in New Zealand’s privacy laws.

Exporters will have access to improved support from the New Zealand Export Credit Office under changes announced by the Government today, Finance Minister Bill English and Trade Minister Tim Groser say.

The NZECO, which is based in The Treasury, is the Government’s official export credit agency. It provides financial guarantees and trade credit insurance to exporters and banks.

The main changes announced by the ministers today will:

Trade Minister Tim Groser welcomes the arrival of over 500 negotiators from 11 countries to Round 15 of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which runs from 3-12 December in Auckland.

“TPP participants already take around 38 percent of our exports and include our largest services and international procurement markets.

“A comprehensive 21st century agreement would provide many more opportunities to New Zealand businesses to grow their trade and investment footprint in the region,” says Mr Groser.

New Zealand has been granted observer status to the fast-growing Latin America economic bloc known as the Pacific Alliance, which includes Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru. 

Trade Minister Tim Groser says observer status gives New Zealand a chance to forge closer links in the region.

“New Zealand values its engagement with these like-minded Latin American countries. Intensifying our relationship with them via the Pacific Alliance provides real opportunities for New Zealand trade with the region.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser will meet with his Australian counterpart at the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Forum tomorrow in Canberra.

The forum provides an opportunity for New Zealand and Australia to review and progress the bilateral trade and economic relationship. 

“On both sides of the Tasman there is a high level of political commitment to strengthening and deepening our relationship, and this meeting will be important in helping us progress the single economic market agenda.”

Trade Minister Tim Groser today welcomed participants at the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) annual meeting held in Auckland.

The WWTG is a grouping of trade negotiators, regulators and industry representatives from eight  ‘new world’ wine-producing countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Georgia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States, who together represent a third of global wine exports. 

Tim Groser, Trade Minister and Minister for Climate Change Issues, departs today for Indonesia and South Korea for trade policy and international climate change discussions.

In Jakarta Mr Groser will attend the World Export Development Forum where he will discuss New Zealand’s experience in meeting the demands of new consumer markets, particularly in emerging and developing economies.