New Zealand to host next round of TPP negotiations
Hon Tim Groser
Minister of
Trade
16 September
2012
Media Statement
New
Zealand to host next round of TPP
negotiations
Trade Minister Tim Groser
today welcomed the announcement that New Zealand will host
the next round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade
negotiations over 3-12 December.
“I am very
pleased that New Zealand will host delegations from TPP
countries, and that we will play a central role in welcoming
Canada and Mexico, whose participation marks a significant
turning point in the negotiation and aligns with the
original vision to create a truly regional, high quality,
comprehensive, 21st century trade and investment
agreement,” Mr Groser says.
“Hundreds of
negotiators from countries around the Asia Pacific region
will attend the nine day meeting in
Auckland.”
TPP already stands to create New
Zealand’s largest free trade area. The addition of
Mexico and Canada will grow that further, bringing an
additional $1 billion of New Zealand exports under TPP and
growing the proportion of New Zealand trade covered by the
agreement to almost 40 percent (or $18 billion).
Mr
Groser said that a programme would be prepared for
interested stakeholders.
“We know that there is
strong public interest in TPP and that a number of
stakeholders, representing a diverse range of views, will
want to play a part in the round.”
The
announcement of New Zealand as host follows the recent
meeting between TPP Trade Ministers in the margins of the
APEC meetings in Vladivostok.
“We reaffirmed
our collective goal to work for an agreement that eliminates
tariffs and includes truly regional rules to support supply
chains and grow trade. Achieving this result will boost
export growth and support job creation in New Zealand,”
says Mr Groser.
New Zealand previously hosted a TPP
round in December 2010. Further information on
arrangements for the December 2012 meeting will be made
available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s
website (www.mfat.govt.nz/tpptalk)
once details have been finalised.
ENDS