US trade talks exclusion ’no slap in face’
New Zealand Herald
US trade talks exclusion ’no slap in face’
25 January 2006
New Zealand’s exclusion from a small list of countries the United States hopes to initiate free trade talks with this year is no surprise, the Government says.
US trade representative Rob Portman has said South Korea, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates were the most likely candidates for new talks with the US this year.
"We’ll be announcing some additional FTA partners soon," Mr Portman said before travelling to the World Trade Organisation’s mini-ministerial meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week.
An announcement in regard to Malaysia was close, progress was being made on entering talks with South Korea, while the UAE would be the next focus in the Middle East, he said.
A spokesman for Trade Minister Phil Goff said New Zealand’s exclusion from the list was not a slap in the face.
The US had already released a similar list before the election, which New Zealand was not on, he said.
That was consistent with the US’ desire to negotiate with larger economies such as South Korea.
– NZPA
