Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
New Zealand has signed up to an agreement designed to improve supply chains in the Indo Pacific region.
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O'Connor recently joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA, to conclude negotiations of a new regional supply chain agreement among 14 Indo-Pacific countries.
He says the agreement is designed to ensure supply chains do not constrain progress made on trade.
The supply chains agreement is one of four pillars being negotiated within the Indo-Pacific Framework (IPEF) initiative launched in September 2022.
O'Connor says the cost of sending a shipping container from NZ to the USA at the height of the Covid crisis grew from $2,000 to $10,000, while the time taken for shipping containers to travel across major global shipping routes skyrocketed from under 60 days to more than 120 days.
He says the IPEF is a novel type of agreement that will provide new channels of collaboration amongst regional countries.
"It covers new ground on modern issues such as the digital economy and accelerating climate action. The group includes the US and many of the large Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, India and most members of ASEAN."
O'Connor says it's in NZ's interest to be part of this IPEF agreement and ensure that supply chains can weather global events.
Plans are in place to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the legendary Flock House opening its doors for the first time.
The mood in horticulture is cautiously optimistic, according to the chair of Horticulture NZ, Barry O'Neil.
New Zealand’s major primary industry exporters have secured shipping capability to export $160 billion worth of products over the next 10 years.
The mood in the deer industry is very positive and on an upwards trajectory.
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the Government is always working to ensure that our food exporters are treated fairly under trade agreements signed with other countries.
Coronet Peak, Queenstown, was the venue for the 2024 NZ Dairy Industry Awards.