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Prime Minister John Key offered to host the signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal in New Zealand, says Trade Minister Todd McClay.
Expect protest marches, outrage and nonsensical claims – from self-professed academic experts to gloried All Blacks' water-boys – it has been confirmed that New Zealand will host the formal signing of the TPP early next month.
Prime Minister John Key offered to host the signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal in New Zealand, says Trade Minister Todd McClay.
They are looking at possible dates with the 11 other countries involved in the deal.
Currently TPP participants are also legally verifying the text. When that it finished it will be made publicly available and will need to be signed, McClay adds.
NZ is the repository, meaning we take responsibility for holding the final text when it is signed.
"Every country has a different process to go through domestically to have the ability to sign the agreement and they need to wait until all 11 countries have finished that process before final decisions on a venue and a date can be made."
On the free trade negotiations with the European Union, McClay says he met with the EU trade commission head Cecilia Malmström in Nairobi in December and they agreed McClay would travel to Brussels early this year and meet with her again.
"We have agreed we want to make significant progress during this year, but it is likely to take a couple of years before we can be close to reaching agreement on an FTA with the European Union," he told Rural News. "It is a big priority for our government."
Current two way trade with the EU, even without an FTA, is worth $20 billion. The TPP is worth about $28b in exports to NZ and the China FTA is worth about $20b.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
A long running trade dispute between New Zealand and Canada over dairy access has been resolved.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
Farmers are welcoming a $17 million, seven-year collaborative science and research programme to lift pasture persistence and productivity.
OPINION: Farmers are rightly urging the Government to relax the rules around KiwiSaver and allow young farmers to use their savings towards purchasing either a house, cows or a farm.
The long running trade dispute between NZ and Canada appears to be over.
Herd improvement company LIC has ended the 2024-25 financial year in a strong position - debt-free and almost quadrupling its net profit.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's move to put the brakes on local authorities to do any more work on planning changes ahead of major changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Rural health advocates say the Government's decision to establish a new medical school at the University of Waikato augurs well for the rural sector.
People affected by the recent two severe flood events in the Tasman district are weary and exhausted trying to deal with the devastation on their farms and orchards, according to the head of the Rural Support Trust (RST) in the region.
New Zealand milk production is off to a strong start, with the first month of the 2025/26 dairy season recording a whopping 17.8% jump in milk production, compared to the previous season.
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