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National’s Trade Myopia Sees Japan Slap Tariffs on Our Beef
Winston Peters
New Zealand First
Leader
Member of Parliament for Northland
21 AUGUST
2017
National’s Trade Myopia Sees Japan Slap Tariffs on Our Beef
New Zealand First says beef farmers throughout New Zealand are suffering from National’s negligence to secure a bilateral trade deal with Japan, like Australia’s success three years ago.
“Securing a free but fair trade deal with Japan is a priority for New Zealand First,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“If beef farmers in Northland and elsewhere want to know why their returns from Japan, our fourth largest beef export market, will crash this season, look no further than National’s obsession with the remnants of the TPPA – the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership 11 (less the United States)
“National continues to flog a lame horse instead of doing what we’d do – strike a deal with the Japanese, get tariffs down lower than the Aussie deal, not just for beef, but for horticulture, wine, dairy and our other exports. That’s possible with one on one negotiations.
“Look at dairy under National’s TPPA obsession. National negotiated access with Japan and only got 3,188 tons of butter and skim milk powder, which, within five years, would rise to a pathetic 3,719 tons in each category.
“National holds a torch for the TPPA but that has made no difference. We are getting the same cold shoulder as the US, which abandoned the TPPA, and are facing higher tariffs. It speaks volumes about how committed the Japanese are to this TPPA-11.
“Aussie farmers must be laughing all the way to the bank over National’s trade cul-de-sac.
“National has bet both the farm and millions of dollars in propaganda on the TPPA, but it is our exporters who are losing out,” says Mr Peters.
Immediate New Zealand First Trade Priorities:
Scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
Sign the Russia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (the world’s number two dairy and beef importer)
Prioritise free but fair bilateral trade deals with Japan, United Kingdom, EU and USA
Initiate Closer Commonwealth Economic Relations
ENDS
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