Groser optimistic about TPP progress
National Business Review, New Zealand
Groser optimistic about TPP progress
17 May 2011
Trade Minister Tim Groser is optimistic key elements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will be hammered out at a meeting of Apec trade ministers in the United States this week.
The two-day meeting in Big Sky, Montana, will bring together members from the 21 economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum to discuss economic integration in the region.
Mr Groser said today he would also discuss the TTP free trade agreement with other negotiating parties ahead of a sixth round of negotiations, in Honolulu in November.
Five Asia-Pacific countries — Australia, Malaysia, Peru, the US and Vietnam — are negotiating to join free trade partners Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore in the TPP.
When TPP leaders met in Yokohama last November, they expressed a desire to see some outcomes ahead of the upcoming meeting, Mr Groser said.
"I am optimistic that we can have the key elements of a TPP deal in place by November, and I’ll be discussing with my counterparts how we can encourage our negotiators to reach that goal," he said.
Also up for discussion would be the stalled Doha Round of international trade negotiations, which World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy was expected to push at the Apec meeting.
Doha negotiations would offer significant benefits for all members of the global economy, Mr Groser said.
"New Zealand remains committed to a successful conclusion of the round and I’ll be doing what I can to help move the negotiations forward."
After the Apec meeting Mr Groser will travel to Washington for meetings dealing with the TPP, WTO and international climate change negotiations.
He will then travel to Paris, France, for the annual meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
