Trade Minister Todd McClay has confirmed New Zealand and Sri Lanka will progress discussions on new trade and investment opportunities, which could include a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. The announcement comes after a meeting between Mr McClay and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and I have instructed officials to consider how New Zealand and Sri Lanka can build the right framework to grow our economic relationship through a trade arrangement, including the possibility of working with other like-minded countries,” Mr McClay says. “Sri Lanka and…

A newly launched joint data sharing system between New Zealand and Chinese Customs will give kiwi exporters a competitive advantage, says Customs Minister Nicky Wagner. “Having the Joint Electronic Verification System operational gives New Zealand a big advantage over other exporters to China as we are only the second country in the world to have this sort of system in place with them. “JEVS makes the customs process simpler to accelerate border clearance, provide greater assurance over goods, and decrease the risk of goods being held up due to minor issues. “The new joint system automatically sends New Zealand’s Certificate…

WELLINGTON， Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will be in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week in another bid to finalize a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf states. MClay said Friday he would be pressing for a conclusion to the negotiations between New Zealand and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)， which began back in 2009. McClay would meet bilaterally with ministerial counterparts and business leaders， including UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoor and Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce Khalid Nasser Al Roudhan. "This is my third visit to…

With few exceptions, governments across Europe do not like Donald Trump’s policies. As he prepares to enter the White House, the U.S. president-elect has already spoken extensively about making America great again. In particular, his economic policies seem protectionist, and his foreign policy, particularly with regard to Israel and Russia, will pose serious challenges to the EU. But instead of moaning about what is still Europe’s greatest ally, EU leaders should respond to the new administration in several ways. These responses are not about countering U.S. influence, which would be impossible in any case. They are about understanding why and…

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, met with New Zealand Foreign Minister, the Honourable Murray McCully at Iveagh House for talks today. At the meeting the Ministers discussed the opportunities and challenges that have arisen as a result of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. The Ministers also spoke about Ireland’s bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and exchanged national rugby jerseys. “The Irish bid team regularly refer to New Zealand’s hosting of the World Cup in 2011 as the inspiration for the Irish bid. That tournament was a remarkable success…

European Union leaders have talked up the prospects of a free trade agreement, saying it would send a strong political signal as protectionism takes hold elsewhere. They have even suggested it could be completed within three years. Bill English arrived in Brussels today on his first official overseas trip as Prime Minister. After meeting English, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said they expected formal negotiations for the long-awaited free trade agreement between the EU and New Zealand to begin soon. Tusk said it would further strengthen relations and made an apparent reference to the…

Winners and losers in tradeoff Exactly how a liberal government’s attempt to appease its Green Party MPs led to a declaration of war, however figurative, from the prime minister of Israel is the strangest tale yet in New Zealand’s almost two centuries of farm politics. Exactly how this state of affairs led to a covert New Zealand taxpayer funded stock handling depot in the middle of a Middle East desert only contributes to a tale which ranks alongside anything from Arabian Nights. The way in which it made strange bedfellows of meat packing, slaughter house, freezing works proprietors and the…

Britain should secure trade agreements with former colonies ahead of Brexit, MPs argue.  On Politico By Esther King The U.K. should reject the customs union and embrace trade with Commonwealth countries post-Brexit, according to a report by the Free Enterprise Group of Tory lawmakers released Tuesday. Brexit is an opportunity to return to the U.K.’s “free trading principles” and pursue an agenda of “independent, worldwide trade liberalization and tariff elimination,” according to the report, which is co-authored by Conservative MP James Cleverly and Royal Commonwealth Society policy director Tim Hewish. The Free Enterprise Group also includes Brexit hardliners such as…

A New Zealand based leading multinational dairy company -- Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited has expressed their interest to invest in the country's dairy sector, a high official of concern ministry said. Fisheries and Livestock minister during his visit to New Zealand last year got the proposal from Fonterra for investment in the country's dairy sector. To this effect, top officials of Fonterra visited Dhaka last month and submitted a proposal in this regard to the government requesting to arrange a government to government meeting (G to G) between Bangladesh and the New Zealand. Board Director of Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited…

Trade talks at risk because of European sensitivities on agriculture, a populist Kiwi lawmaker says. Trade talks between New Zealand and Europe risk being shot down by national or regional parliaments in the EU and should be shelved to prioritize a deal with the U.K., a populist Kiwi lawmaker has said. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels between New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who are expected to discuss bilateral trade negotiations that could start in the upcoming months, trade spokesperson Fletcher Tabuteau from the populist New Zealand First party warned of “deep trouble”…

More local businesses looking to expand into Korea will benefit from the latest round of tariff reductions under the New Zealand-Korea Free Trade Agreement, Trade Minister Todd McClay says. The start of 2017 saw two thirds of New Zealand’s exports to Korea become duty free, up from 46 per cent in 2016. “Thanks to this continued progress under the FTA, even more New Zealand businesses can compete favourably in the Korean market,” Mr McClay says. New Zealand and Korea celebrated the first anniversary of the agreement in December 2016. Since the FTA’s entry into force in December 2015, New Zealand…