Government's Tariff Move Death Knell For Clothing Industry

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald today said the Government's move to give the least developed countries tariff free access to New Zealand for their imports would be the death knell for New Zealand's clothing industry.

"I would ask the Prime Minister to carefully reconsider this move," he said. "The Green Party believe it is simplistic to say that giving developing countries tariff-free access to New Zealand is going to help them if big corporations move in and pay the locals very poor wages to produce the goods.

"It doesn't do the workers in developing countries any favours and it certainly doesn't help our own struggling manufacturing industries," said Mr Donald.

"The Green Party is committed to fair trade. Having personally worked for Trade Aid for 16 years in an effort to foster trade with craftspeople in developing countries we do want to help these people, but not at the expense of our own people."

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