Hon Tim Groser
Minister of Trade

8 November 2010

Media Statement
Groser to meet trade counterparts at APEC

Minister of Trade Tim Groser will attend the 22nd Annual APEC Ministerial Meeting in Yokohama, Japan on November 10-11.

Mr Groser will join Trade Ministers from the other 20 APEC economies at APEC, where they will discuss key regional and international trade issues.

“APEC plays an important role in promoting trade amongst a diverse range of economies at different stages of development” says Mr Groser.

“This is a watershed year for APEC as New Zealand and other economies are assessed against their progress towards the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment.”

The visit builds upon the Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting held in Sapporo in Japan in June. Ministers will again discuss the state of the region’s economic growth. Discussion will also centre on how further trade liberalisation, including concluding the Doha Development Round, will contribute to economic growth.

“In this part of the world the focus is increasingly shifting to regional integration initiatives” Mr Groser said. “The Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation is now attracting wide interest around the region and I will be talking to TPP counterparts and other interested Ministers about the outlook for the negotiation,” he added.

APEC (the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum) includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

Prime Minister John Key and Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will also attend the annual round of APEC Meetings in Yokohama and Finance Minister Bill English will attend the APEC Finance Ministers Meeting in Kyoto.

ENDS

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