EU regulations unfairly threaten $200m exports
A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.
As Rural News revealed several weeks ago, Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O'Connor is on his way to Europe and the United States to meet with key partners, including representing New Zealand at the G20 Trade Ministers' meeting in Italy.
However, the focus of the trip is very much on trying to get more action on the free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU. To that end, O'Connor will have meetings in Brussels, Ireland, Sweden, France and Italy. The negotiations with the EU appear to have stalled, partly because of the European summer break, and this trip aims to progress these talks.
O'Connor will meet in Brussels with Valdis Dombrovkis, the European Commission's Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner.
"Securing a high quality and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU represents a huge opportunity for New Zealand exporters," he says. "The EU is NZ's fourth largest trading partner with two-way goods and services trade at over $15 billion per year. An FTA with the EU will also provide a more level playing field for New Zealand exporters."
O'Connor says he'll be reinforcing NZ's expectations and commitment to work with the EU to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible.
"New Zealand remains absolutely committed to a high quality and comprehensive FTA with the EU. We are one of the EU's most like-minded partners, but the lack of an FTA remains a disappointing anomaly that is in both of our interests, and our reach, to resolve."
Damien O'Connor will be participating in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris from October 5-6. He'll also represent NZ at the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Italy, which will give him a chance to meet key trade ministers.
At that meeting, he will likely meet Britain's new Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
Suprisingly, O'Connor is not scheduled to go to London to meet with Trevelyan to try and get more progress on a UK/NZ FTA. There appears to be some sticking points on both sides, with NZ still concerned about the offer on agriculture, and the UK about financial and legal services.
On his way to Europe, O'Connor has a series of engagements in Washington, D.C., including meeting with the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
This will be the first visit by a NZ minister to the US since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
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