Hon Todd McClay
Minister of Trade
1 September 2016 Media Statement


Public invited to meetings on Trade Policy

Trade Minister Todd McClay has called a series of meetings where the public can share their views on the shape of a refreshed Trade Policy Strategy for New Zealand.

“Our current strategy has been in place for 20 years. It has been a key driver of the Free Trade Agreements we have negotiated with China, Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia and ASEAN, as well as agreements with Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei, as well as valuable results from the WTO that are delivering significant benefits for New Zealanders,” says Mr McClay.

“Trade is essential for our way of life and our prosperity, but the way business is done today and the global environment we operate in are very different from 20 years ago.

“We will continue to work on removing tariff barriers to our exports. But as they come down, Non-Tariff Barriers are becoming a more obvious problem. Services are much more important and investment overseas and digital trade are also growing.

“We need to adapt our strategy so we get the best results from our international trade, and from the agreements we have,” says Mr McClay.

As part of the refresh of the Trade Policy Strategy, public meetings will be held in September in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

They will provide an opportunity to hear from the Minister of Trade and officials on the thinking behind intended shifts in New Zealand’s approach to international trade policy and for the public to express their views.

The meetings will also be livestreamed and viewers will be able to submit questions during the meetings via Twitter.

“These meetings are part of my commitment to engage New Zealanders even more about trade,” says Mr McClay.

Full details and how to register are on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website at https://mfat.govt.nz/meetings. Details of the first two meetings are below. Arrangements for the Christchurch meeting are still to be finalised.

Wellington
• Date: Monday, 5 September 2016
• Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
• Location: Intercontinental Hotel, 2 Grey Street, Wellington
Auckland
• Date: Tuesday, 6 September 2016
• Time: 2:30pm-5:30pm
• Location: Crowne Plaza, 128 Albert Street, Auckland

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