Prime Minister Luxon is at last making his visit to India with a large business and community delegation. We wish them well in expanding and...
Playing the long trade game with India
read more
Responding to Sustainability Council TPP Criticism
It always good to see others enter the discussion about the merits of the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations. In this vein we were pleased to the Sustainability Council contribute. It was however disappointing that their report contained no new data or information.
The Honolulu based East West Center study, led by Professor Peter Petri drew its conclusions from hard data and peer reviewed modeling. We acknowledge that economic models will always be debated and they should be. The Sustainability Council’s report offers little more than a detailed critique of the Petri study modelling though and no alternative modelling is offered to gauge the impact of TPP.
It is not just empirical literature that suggests there are gains from reducing non-tariff barriers and easing impediments to investment, modern businesses are also saying the same thing.
The non-tariff dimensions to trade agreements are difficult to measure but that is no reason for ignoring them. Trade policy today is mostly NOT about tariffs. The vast bulk of the modern world’s wealth is generated by trade in services, not goods.
TradeWorks challenges the Council to produce evidence to illustrate that TPP would be a negative for the New Zealand economy.
The statements in the Sustainability Council report, as they stand about the potential costs, have no empirical basis. So claims that net gains seem “doubtful” appear to based on opinion rather than analysis.
REGISTER WITH TRADE WORKS
Register to stay up to date with latest news, as well as saving and discussing articles you’re interested in.
Latest News
Playing the long trade game with India
Prime Minister Luxon is at last making his visit to India with a large business and community delegation. We wish them well in expanding and deepening the relationship with India. The reasons for doing so we have explained previously. Our Government’s...
SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
PROPOSED GREEN ECONOMY JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH CHILE AND SINGAPORE MARCH 2025 Introduction This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF), whose members are listed at Annex A[1]. NZIBF is a forum of senior business leaders...
PRESENTATION TO APEC BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL: ADDRESSING PROTECTIONISM AND NON TARIFF BARRIERS
BRISBANE, 24 FEBRUARY 2025 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZIBF My thanks to Anna Curzon and Stephanie Honey for giving me one last opportunity to speak to ABAC. I want to talk today about rising protectionism and proliferating non tariff barriers. It’s not a new...
Business Leaders Sound Alarm on Global Economic Uncertainty: Call for Unified APEC Action
Brisbane, Australia, 25 February 2025 - Among rising global economic tension, the APEC Business Advisory Council met in Brisbane this week to reaffirm its support for the value of trade and cooperation, and the original APEC commitment to free, fair, open and...
REMARKS TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE COMMITTEE – 20 FEBRUARY 2025
RATIFICATION OF NEW ZEALAND-UAE COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CEPA) STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZIBF Thank you Chair for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today. I do so on behalf of the members of the NZ International Business...
Submission by ExportNZ and TradeWorks to the Health Select Committee on the Gene Technology Bill
17th February 2025 Our Recommendations ExportNZ and the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) support the Government’s overall intention to modernise New Zealand’s gene technology regulations. We support the establishment of a risk-based regulatory regime...
SUBMISSION TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE SELECT COMMITTEE
RATIFICATION OF NEW ZEALAND-UAE COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CEPA) FEBRUARY 2025 This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) and ExportNZ[1]. NZIBF is a forum of senior business leaders working together...
SOUTHERN LINK REVISITED SEMINAR, SEPT 2024
On 24 September 2024 a stakeholders seminar was held in Auckland to reassess the Southern Link concept, five years after a large conference kickstarted focused discussion of the idea (before Covid intervened). This report of the seminar discussions...
T Day has come
STOP PRESS – NOT SO FAST. This post deals with the tariffs President Trump announced on 1 February he would impose on Canada, Mexico and China. By 4 February he announced imposition of tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be suspended for 30 days (until 5 March). ...
Back to the future?
The end of 2024 has trade advocates reaching back to their 2016 taking points as an Administration of a depressingly protectionist hue prepares to take office in the United States, once the global champion for trade liberalisation. We do not know for now what,...
Diplosphere: Tour de Force with Stephen Jacobi – Having Choice is a Key NZ Interest
Stephen Jacobi on APEC, WTO, doubling trade exports, big ideas like Southern Link, independent thinking & risks of a red line with AUKUS P2. This interview was recorded on Tue 19 Nov, 2024 in Wellington, NZ at Diplosphere HQ. Watch the full video here.
APEC Business Leaders Call for Bold Actions on Sustainable Growth and Economic Integration
Read the original article on the ABAC website here. Lima, 12 November 2024 — With challenges becoming increasingly borderless, business leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region are calling on APEC Leaders to take decisive actions to boost sustainable and inclusive...
CPTPP and the art of living dangerously
By Stephen Jacobi [1] As published by Newsroom, 6 December 2024 There’s not much shouting about TPP these days, but more passion would be a good thing. Time was when “TPPA” could bring tens of thousands to the streets. These days the annual Ministerial meeting...
NZIBF 2024 Chair Report
I am pleased to present my fourth report on the activities and achievements of the NZ International Business Forum (NZIBF) for 2023-24, our 17th year of operations. I am grateful to all Board and associate Members for your continuing commitment and support. This...
Reimagining the trans-Tasman relationship for two decades
Even the closest of relationships require advocacy. That applies equally to Australia – our greatest friend. That’s the job of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF), whose Steering Committee met in Sydney last week. The ANZLF has come a long...
