25 May 2005

Minister to visit South Korea and China

Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton leaves tomorrow for meetings in South Korea and China, and a trade mission to China.

Mr Sutton will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers meeting in Jeju, South Korea on June 2 and 3.

>From there, he goes to Beijing for formal meetings with counterparts as part of a Joint Ministerial Commission, and then goes to Inner Mongolia, leading an agri-tech trade mission, focusing particularly on the dairy industry.

He returns to New Zealand on June 12.

Mr Sutton said this year's APEC meeting would be an important one in the build-up to the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December.

"APEC is an important grouping within the WTO, and the decisions we make as a group in South Korea can have a significant influence on the direction of the WTO negotiations. These negotiations need to gain momentum if we are to achieve the success the international trading system needs."

Mr Sutton said there was significant industry interest in the Chinese dairy sector.

"We know that the New Zealand style of dairy farming is well suited to large areas of China and that our technologies can be adapted to meet the needs of the environment. As a world leader in dairy technologies, we have the total solutions to help and can make a significant contribution to the development of the Chinese industry."

ENDS

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