As negotiations accelerate to conclude an ambitious free trade agreement between New Zealand and the European Union, the NZ International Business Forum (NZIBF), representing a cross section of major exporters, urges the Government and its negotiators to hold out for a commercially meaningful deal which expands market access for all exports and does not disadvantage or penalise any one sector.
Trade war – peace in our time?
The announcement of a ceasefire in the US/China trade war can be greeted with a sigh of relief by the international community but the agreement leaves a number of unanswered questions especially for New Zealand exporters. All eyes were on Washington this week as the...
APEC in PNG: Putting the “P” in Asia Pacific
Leaders, Ministers, senior officials and business people from the 21 economies from APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation – gather this week in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the first time this Pacific economy has hosted. Trade, investment, inclusive and...
Making sense of the TPP end game
There’s an old Peggy Lee song – “If that’s all there is, then let’s keep dancin’”. That essentially was how the TPP negotiations ended up in Maui. The deal on the table was insufficient so Ministers decided to keep on talking. How did this happen? Going into Maui...
TPP – Fact and Fiction
The wildest speculation and misinformation is being spread about by those opposed to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). It is claimed TPP is not a trade agreement. TPP is about trade – and investment and jobs and everything else that impacts on the way...