30 October 2014

Green light for New Zealand to join WTO GPA

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Trade Minister Tim Groser today welcomed the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) decision on the terms for New Zealand’s accession to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) in Geneva.

“A positive decision on the terms of New Zealand’s accession has been reached with GPA parties in Geneva overnight (NZ time), following two years of negotiations,” Mr Joyce says.

“Accession to the GPA will provide New Zealand companies with guaranteed access to bid for approximately US $1.7 trillion in annual overseas government contracts across 43 WTO member countries including the US, Canada, Korea, Japan and 28 countries of the EU.”

Mr Joyce says this will make it easier for kiwi businesses to sell their products and services overseas. When the GPA is in place, kiwi companies will be able to export and do business with the likes of the US Government from right here in New Zealand, creating local jobs and growing New Zealand for all.

“There’ll be no need for our top entrepreneurs and innovators to build offshore branches in order to do business. The GPA will let kiwi companies run their businesses the way they want to, rather than establish ‘work arounds’ like they have to now,” Mr Joyce says.

“The GPA is another important step in opening up large overseas markets so New Zealand exporters can compete on equal terms with their international counterparts,” Mr Groser says.

“New Zealand will now need to complete standard constitutional processes, including final Cabinet approval and the parliamentary examination of the Agreement, in order for accession to occur.”

ends

© Scoop Media