Pacific Partnership union Presidential sinking welcomed---but public displays of globalisation grief still mandatory
The pending collapse of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade union will be secretly welcomed by New Zealand traders and policymakers alike.
One reason is that New Zealand offers no finished goods challenge to United States manufacturers.
The other reason is that the Trump Exit evaporates dangers to still flourishing trade with China which would have been tarnished by New Zealand belonging to what is in effect an anti-China bloc.
New Zealand exports to the United States are overwhelmingly raw materials for further processing.The president-elect vows to restore United States pre-eminence in manufactured goods of all description.
Mr Trump claims that over the past 20 years that the United States has financed the rise of the Chinese middle class.
This he claims has been at the cost of the careers and jobs of the United States whose own middle class has been relegated in many states to low paying jobs, if they have jobs at all.
Mr Trump’s overwhelming loyalty is to the productivity of United States rust belt states, as they are known, which saw him through to the presidency.
Mr Trump is pledged to revive specific United States industries. They are in:-
None of these compete with anything coming from New Zealand. Indeed, New Zealand can claim common cause with the United States in seeing its own textile industry shrink in the face of exports from the Orient.
In the last analysed statistical year New Zealand was the United States’ 57th largest supplier of imports.
The main categories were: Meat (frozen beef), albumins, modified starch and glue (mostly caseins), wine dairy, eggs, and honey, along with milk protein concentrate .
The one challenge in the process finished consumer product category is wine (USD296 million.)Wine though is focussed on the West Coast, notably California. None of these wine states are by definition rust belt states.
They overwhelmingly voted for Hillary. They can expect no favours in protective tariffsfrom the incoming administration.
On the president-elect global hit list meanwhile are countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and Vietnam, and Japan. These all compete in manufactured products with the United States.
They are all members of the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement and nations which the Trump Doctrine blames for taking away manufacturing jobs from his American constituency.
January 21 next will be the first day in office for President Trump with the proclaimed cancellation of the Trans Pacific Partnership as his first executive priority.
From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk - Monday 28 November 2016
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KiwiRail has entered the coastal shipping freight market with a new NZ Connect service.
The service responds to customers’ expectations of KiwiRail as a logistics partner and is a logical solution to provide innovative freight connections between Auckland and Christchurch following the Kaikoura earthquake earlier this month.
NZ Connect has been developed with the support of Ports of Auckland, Lyttelton Port of Christchurch and ANL Shipping.
“The disruption to New Zealand’s key supply route between Auckland and Christchurch will continue for many months as the rail and road links are rebuilt,” says KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy.
“Coming up with an alternative way of shifting freight for our customers was important, and KiwiRail is pleased it has been able to do this so quickly.”
The new service will shift cargo from Auckland’s Wiri Inland Port and KiwiRail’s Southdown Freight Hub to Lyttelton’s Midland Port or KiwiRail’s Christchurch terminal via ANL shipping services. Using rail in Auckland and Christchurch has the added benefit of further reducing truck congestion from already busy roads.
The new services will be available immediately.
A plan to extend the service to include return of freight from the South Island to the North Island is being finalised and should be announced soon.
“KiwiRail has always played a key role in keeping people and freight moving,” says Mr Reidy. “This is another example of our commitment to keeping New Zealand moving and helping to drive economic growth, even in the most difficult and volatile of times.”
From Melbourne ANL’s Managing Director John Lines says "ANL is committed to this new partnership opportunity supporting KiwiRail, and ANL has ample available capacity from Auckland to Lyttelton and around the New Zealand coast to ensure the continuity of KiwiRail's service to their customers."
Customer contact details for NZ Connect are: 0800 202 484, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The new Customs and Excise Bill will strengthen border management and make life simpler for businesses, says Customs Minister Nicky Wagner.
“The Bill will take the place of the out-dated Customs and Excise Act 1996, which is difficult to understand and apply, creating unnecessary compliance costs for business,” Ms Wagner says.
“Businesses’ obligations will be clearer and there will be more flexibility in meeting them in the new modern legislation.
“We have addressed concerns raised by the public during consultation around Customs’ powers to search e-devices at the border.
“Customs’ powers to examine and access electronic devices will be restricted through a two-stage search threshold. This means that Customs will only be able to search a device if they have a reasonable suspicion or belief of offending under the Act.
“The new search powers strike a balance between protecting privacy and ensuring that Customs can continue to protect our borders.
“There will also be greater assurance for all New Zealanders that border risks and non-compliance will be identified and minimised.”
The Bill proposes a number of changes that support the movement of travellers and goods across the border, protect New Zealand from harm, and support the collection of Crown revenue, including:
“The Bill modernises but does not substantially change most of the provisions in the current Act, and will provide Customs with modern flexible legislation needed to protect the border.”
“Some detail has been moved into regulations to enable changes to be made in response to emerging risks and new technologies and risk management approaches,” Ms Wagner says.
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242