NZ Winegrowers welcomes trade talks between NZ and the USA

New Zealand Winegrowers welcomes the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s description of her meeting this morning with US President Donald Trump as including an “excellent discussion on trade… met with enthusiasm”, and that she expects talks to be ongoing. The two leaders were meeting in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

“New Zealand’s ties to the USA are strong”, says Philip Gregan, Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand Winegrowers. “For almost as long as we’ve been a trading nation, we’ve been trading goods and services with the USA and investing in each other’s economies.”

Gregan notes that New Zealand and the USA have shared interests in an effective global trading system, and a common set of beliefs in fair and free competition. “It will be to New Zealanders’ advantage to now work towards formalising those interests in a free trade agreement between us. We fully support the work of our governments in exploring ways to strengthen our trading relationship, for the benefit of both our countries.”

In the year to June 2019, the USA purchased $557 million of New Zealand wine, third only behind its purchases of French and Italian wine, and making the USA New Zealand’s largest wine export market. This growing demand for our premium product helps support over 20,000 jobs in the regions throughout the country.

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