Groser to meet trade counterparts at APEC

Trade Minister Tim Groser will meet with his international counterparts in the United States this week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade.

"APEC Trade Ministers will discuss economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, 'green growth' and food security. We will also discuss how to better integrate supply chains across our economies.”

During the meeting in Big Sky, Montana, Mr Groser will meet with Ministers from other participants in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

"When TPP leaders, including Prime Minister Key, met in Yokohama last November, they expressed a desire to see some kind of outcome to these hugely important negotiations by their next meeting, in Honolulu in November 2011.

"I am optimistic that we can have the key elements of a TPP deal in place by November, and I'll be discussing with my counterparts how we can encourage our negotiators to reach that goal.”

The Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, is expected to attend the Big Sky meeting to discuss advancing the currently stalled WTO Doha Round of international trade negotiations.

"The meeting comes at a time when careful direction needs to be given by Trade Ministers to the Doha negotiations, which offer significant benefits for all members of the global economy, including New Zealand,” Mr Groser said.

“New Zealand remains committed to a successful conclusion of the Round and I'll be doing what I can to help move the negotiations forward.”

Following APEC, Mr Groser will travel to Washington for meetings relating to TPP, the WTO and international climate change negotiations. He will then travel to Paris for the OECD's main annual Ministerial meeting, which will celebrate the OECD's 50th anniversary and focus on the role of trade in improving global employment conditions, new sources of growth, and the importance of well-targeted development aid.