NZ US Council to attend APEC trade meeting in Montana

NZ US Council to attend APEC trade meeting in Montana

MEDIA RELEASE

The NZ US Council will be represented at the meeting of APEC Trade Ministers to be held in Big Sky, Montana, 19-20 May.

NZ US Council Executive Director Stephen Jacobi will participate in his capacity as Alternate Member for New Zealand of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).

ABAC Member Tony Nowell will also participate. ABAC member Gary Judd QC is already in Big Sky participating in meetings with APEC senior officials.

"The Big Sky meeting is an important event in the trade policy calendar", said Mr Jacobi.

"It brings together Ministers from the 21 economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) grouping who will discuss progress with APEC's trade agenda as well as other trade and investment issues including the parlous state of play in the WTO's Doha negotiations."

Mr Jacobi said he expected Ministers from the nine economies would also meet to discuss progress in the negotiations to the establish Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) as a pathway for the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).

"TPP is a complex undertaking and it will be important for Ministers to give negotiators guidance if substantial progress is to made by the time of the APEC Leaders' Summit in Honolulu in November".

Mr Jacobi will visit Washington DC in the period 16-18 May to attend the annual general meeting of the Council's counterpart organisation, the US NZ Council. In Washington Mr Jacobi will meet with American officials and the Council's business allies to discuss the outcome of the recent US NZ Partnership Forum as well as progress with the TPP negotiations in advance of the Big Sky meeting.

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About the NZUS Council - www.nzuscouncil.com

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