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John Key hopes to push trade talks now he has secured a surprise meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden.
He is in Washington for Barack Obama's nuclear security summit, and will be meeting with Biden at midnight on Monday (NZT).
Acting Prime Minister Bill English says Key will be taking the
opportunity to push New Zealand's trade agenda with the US every
chance he can.
Talks started last month in Melbourne on a Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) which would expand the previously negotiated P4
trade agreement between New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Singapore to
include the US, Australia, Peru and Vietnam.
A group of 30 US senators responded by sending a letter to US Trade
Representative Ron Kirk critical of Fonterra and accusing New
Zealand's dairy industry of "anti-competitive practices".
Idaho senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch led 28 others in urging
"very careful attention to dairy trade concerns" and said New
Zealand's dairy industry wielded extensive control over world
prices.
English said Key would use his meetings to outline New
Zealand's position.
"The practical negotiations have just got started and of course
negotiating any trade deal with the US is going to be a complex job
requiring persistence so the Prime Minister's taking the
opportunity to push our case every chance he can."
English did not think the senators' letter was "that relevant" to
trade talks.
"In our view the US government has a realistic view of Fonterra as
an organisation that has to compete successfully in global dairy
markets and the fact that it is done reasonably well just means
that it's a good New Zealand organisation, not that it has any
particular protection from the Government."
Trade Minister Tim Groser previously said the senators were
influential but it was "palpable nonsense" to say Fonterra created
an unfair market because it competed internationally like every
other company.
"It's a very, very politicised argument, trying to suggest that
somehow New Zealand doesn't play it fair when any person who looked
at it objectively would reach exactly the opposite conclusion," he
said.
English says the issue of US navy ships visiting New Zealand isn't really on the agenda, and hasn't been offered or discussed with the US government.
What should John Key be asking the US for in terms of trade? Comment on the messageboard below
Add a Comment:
Post new commentsanta0007 said on 2010-04-12 @ 10:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
Ask him for a job, or email Fiji Army head man that he's not here so he can visit NZ & do a coo thingy whilst Mr Key is away. The rubbish this national party policy is producing is real in the fact that none of them will be around to admit there costs dont work, it affects & infects too many small groups of people. as can be shown with there social policy & implementation. Ask yourself......are you worth your pay?it can be done cheaper?.
jimmy12 said on 2010-04-12 @ 09:56 NZDT: Report abusive post
Make sure the continued existence of Pharmac is a bottom line, we could say goodbye to an affordable health system if the Americans had their way on that one.