US New Zealand Free Trade Agreement A Step Closer

US New Zealand Free Trade Agreement One Step Closer

The Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce is delighted with today's statement from President Obama that the US will work towards a free trade agreement including the US and New Zealand.

President Obama has committed to engaging with the Trans Pacific Partnership countries with the goal of shaping a regional agreement that will have broad-based membership and high standards worthy of a 21st century trade agreement.

“We are convinced that President Obama has made the right decision,” said Chamber CEO Charles Finny. 

“Being part of a high standard broad-based FTA linking the US with Latin America, Asia and Australia and New Zealand sends a strong and positive signal about the US commitment to both Asia and free trade.

“We hope that this announcement will have been noted by all WTO members and that it will encourage a new willingness to engage on remaining differences over the WTO Doha Development Agenda and that this negotiation can be ended successfully without further delay.

“The Chamber looks forward to working closely with the New Zealand Government on what will be a challenging negotiation.

“In particular we look forward to helping shape a new generation FTA which sets a new global benchmark comprehensiveness, speed of liberalisation or barriers to trade in goods and services and to investment.  We hope that the agreement also covers issues such trade in environmental goods and services, government procurement, labour and protection of intellectual property rights.

“We congratulate President Obama and Prime Minister Key, Trade Minister Groser, Foreign Minister McCully and the MFAT negotiating team for the hard work that they have done to help bring the Obama Administration to the conclusion that the US should be at the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiating table,” Mr Finny concluded.

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