(Radio New Zealand)
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk has rejected calls by American lawmakers for dairy to be excluded from a free trade deal that includes New Zealand. The legislators want Mr Kirk to exclude dairy from the eight-country Trans Pacific Partnership.
The call from the Congressional dairy farmers caucus followed a letter from 30 senators in March opposing dairy’s inclusion. It claims increased imports of New Zealand dairy products will depress already-low prices and devastate the U.S. industry.
But Mr Kirk says it is too early to exclude sectors from a possible deal and improving access to overseas markets as a result of the deal could be a boost for American farmers.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has expressed unease at the inclusion of Canada in the Trans Pacific Partnership. Canada, which has a strong local dairy lobby, is not currently part of the talks but is believed to be pressing to join. Read more here.
Showing posts with label TPP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TPP. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Canada Risks Being Shut Out of Pacific Trade Pact, New Zealand PM Warns
(John Ibbitson — Globe & Mail)
Ottawa’s insistence on protecting dairy industry with tariffs at issue
New Zealand’s Prime Minister is warning that unless Canada abandons its protections for the dairy industry, it will not be allowed to join a landmark trade agreement being negotiated among Pacific nations.
Canada has no free trade agreements anywhere in Asia, and a failure to sign on to an expanded Trans-Pacific Partnership would leave this country shut out of the Asia-Pacific region, which is widely viewed as the engine of economic growth in the 21st century.
John Key, who was in Ottawa on Wednesday for talks and dinner with Stephen Harper, said he told the Prime Minister that he hoped Canada would ultimately join the TPP, as it is commonly called.
But “I made it clear, from New Zealand’s point of view, we would want to engage in flexible and comprehensive agreements,” he maintained.
When asked whether any nation would be permitted to join the agreement while carving out protections for its dairy industry, he replied: “That is not our intention. No.” Read more here.
Ottawa’s insistence on protecting dairy industry with tariffs at issue
New Zealand’s Prime Minister is warning that unless Canada abandons its protections for the dairy industry, it will not be allowed to join a landmark trade agreement being negotiated among Pacific nations.
Canada has no free trade agreements anywhere in Asia, and a failure to sign on to an expanded Trans-Pacific Partnership would leave this country shut out of the Asia-Pacific region, which is widely viewed as the engine of economic growth in the 21st century.
John Key, who was in Ottawa on Wednesday for talks and dinner with Stephen Harper, said he told the Prime Minister that he hoped Canada would ultimately join the TPP, as it is commonly called.
But “I made it clear, from New Zealand’s point of view, we would want to engage in flexible and comprehensive agreements,” he maintained.
When asked whether any nation would be permitted to join the agreement while carving out protections for its dairy industry, he replied: “That is not our intention. No.” Read more here.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Trans-Pacific Trade Talks Kick Off in Australia
(Bridges Weekly)
Negotiations toward a deal to open up trade among eight countries along the Pacific Rim got going in Melbourne, Australia on Monday. Expectations are high as some observers predict that the resulting deal, dubbed the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, could be the foundation of a free trade area that eventually spans the entire Pacific region.
In the near term, however, delegates involved in this week’s TPP negotiations are hoping to build on the existing ‘P-4’ free trade deal, which governs economic relations among four countries in the region: Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. This week, those countries are joined by Australia, Peru, the United States and Vietnam, all of which are hoping to sign on to an expanded trade pact. Other countries in the region, including China, Japan, South Korea, and some Southeast Asian nations, may also be looking to join the negotiation soon. Proponents say that a solid TPP deal could help the 21 country members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group achieve their goal of establishing a free trade zone across the entire region. Read more here.
Negotiations toward a deal to open up trade among eight countries along the Pacific Rim got going in Melbourne, Australia on Monday. Expectations are high as some observers predict that the resulting deal, dubbed the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, could be the foundation of a free trade area that eventually spans the entire Pacific region.
In the near term, however, delegates involved in this week’s TPP negotiations are hoping to build on the existing ‘P-4’ free trade deal, which governs economic relations among four countries in the region: Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. This week, those countries are joined by Australia, Peru, the United States and Vietnam, all of which are hoping to sign on to an expanded trade pact. Other countries in the region, including China, Japan, South Korea, and some Southeast Asian nations, may also be looking to join the negotiation soon. Proponents say that a solid TPP deal could help the 21 country members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group achieve their goal of establishing a free trade zone across the entire region. Read more here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
