Clark's Cheap Tariff Shot

Prime Minister Helen Clark fired a blank in Brunei yesterday, trying to look like a free trader to APEC while being a protectionist at home.

The Prime Minister announced that her government will not levy tariffs against countries like Afghanistan and Rwanda. However, her government froze high tariffs against countries like China and India, which actually trade with New Zealand.

Daniel Silva, Secretary of the Importers Institute said, "If Miss Clark really was in favour of free trade, she would restore the scheduled tariff cuts that her government cancelled, but the Alliance and the trade unions wouldn't stand for it."

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