Co-operation statement with United States

US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Foreign Minister Murray McCully have today signed a joint statement on global supply chain security.

Secretary Napolitano and Minister McCully met at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington this morning where they signed the co-operation statement.

It is a commitment to pursue customs and border initiatives designed to protect critical elements of the supply chain system from terrorism and ensure if disruption occurs the commerce supply chain can recover quickly.

“New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region play an increasingly prominent role in our global commerce and within the global supply chain,” said Secretary Napolitano.

“This joint statement allows the United States and New Zealand to build upon our existing efforts to enhance international supply chain security and paves the way for future collaboration between our nations,” she said.

“As an export nation we welcome improved standards and practices with export supplies and border security, and our ability to provide niche expertise in a broad range of areas makes us a useful partner,” said Mr McCully.

“The signing means the New Zealand Customs Service and US Customs and Border Protection will cooperate to ensure a secure supply chain by working together to identify the threat of terrorism or other trans-national crime,” he said.

This arrangement also streamlines international standards to facilitate trade and will further extend the recently improved Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).
Under the MRA members of the New Zealand’s Secure Exports Scheme have greater certainty about the movement of their goods through the United States border and quicker access to the United States market, a benefit that no other country in the world has.