The Green Party has welcomed news that the Government has finally bailed-out of the free trade deal with Hong Kong.

"It was only going to work at enormous cost to New Zealand," Green Party Trade spokesperson, Rod Donald, said today. "Some 88 per cent of the goods coming from Hong Kong are 're-exports' from other countries, mainly China.

"The Government has taken a long time to realise that Hong Kong was never going to come to the party on 'rules of origin.'

"That Mr Sutton has finally woken up that fact is good news for the 20,000 New Zealand clothing workers who would have been out of a job if the deal had gone through," said Rod Donald.

"Perhaps the Government will now take another look at the Singapore deal, where their have already been significant compliance problems with 'rules of origin.'"

ENDS

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