Trade

A draft of part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal leaked to the Politico website suggests the US is demanding increased protections for pharmaceutical companies, restricting access to the lower-cost generic versions of drugs that agencies such as New Zealand’s Pharmac buy. The draft copy of the intellectual property chapter of the trade agreement as it stood on May 11, before the Guam negotiating …

Meridian Energy and Rio Tinto-controlled New Zealand Aluminium Smelters have extended their electricity agreement for another month, giving the Tiwai Point smelter owner a little more time to sort out its electricity needs. Wellington-based Meridian agreed with NZAS last night to extend the date the smelter owner can terminate their agreement until Aug. 3, while keeping all other terms unchanged, …

It’s a pleasure to be back in Auckland. And it’s great to have friends with which we have so much in common, even as we celebrate some differences. For instance, we both play “football,” though we have not reconciled different understandings of whether that word means American football or rugby. Speaking of rugby, I was reliably informed that, despite the …

The NZ US Partnership Forum provided the opportunity to present recommendations for what should come next in the relationship between New Zealand and the United States. There was overwhelming support for New Zealand to lobby for entrepreneur visas, similar to the E-3 visas granted to Australians. New Zealand has a large pool of entrepreneurs that want to drive the creation …

Negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership will accelerate in July, with New Zealand officials working to stitch up a deal by the month’s end, according to Trade Minister Tim Groser. With US legislators granting President Barack Obama’s administration fast-track approval, Groser expects the 12 nations’ negotiators will put their real cards on the table after several years of shadow-boxing. The US …

Address by the Hon Tim Groser, Minister of Trade and Minister of Climate Change Issues: US/NZ Partnership Forum, Auckland 30 June 2015 I would like to thank our two co-chairs, the Hon Simon Power, Chair of the NZ-US Council and Stu Van Soyoc, President of the US-based counterpart organisation for assuming joint responsibility for the Partnership Forum. I think it …

Today in Auckland the US NZ Partnership Forum gathers for the sixth time. The event brings together a number of senior representatives from Government, business and academia from both New Zealand and the United States. Our American guests include Assistant Secretary of State Danny Russel and Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-Minnesota). Significant progress has been made since the first Partnership Forum was …

The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) is firm in its view that a good deal on dairy in TPP is necessary for any deal to stack up for New Zealand. “The facts are that dairy accounts for 35% of NZ exports. You can’t even come close to achieving an acceptable deal for New Zealand without a good deal …

The United States is likely to try and force the pace of negotiations to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the next few weeks, following a vote in the US Senate last night that all but ensures President Barack Obama will gain so-called ‘fast track’ authority to complete the controversial agreement. One more Senate vote is expected overnight tonight, New Zealand …

Jane Kelsey is damning ‘unprecedented procedural machinations and an unholy alliance with the Republicans’  as enabling Barack Obama a super-majority to advance fast track authority in the US Senate by a single vote.   The University of Auckland law professor reckons “the damage to relations between the President and his core Democrat constituency may be irrecoverable, making the content of any …