John Key says he is increasingly confident a trade deal will be signed with the United States, after a week-long trip to America, where the Prime Minister met with high-level US trade representatives and US President Barack Obama.
Interviewed on TVNZ's Q&A programme in Washington after his half hour meeting with Obama, Key said progress had been made in talks for the US joining the Trans Pacific Partnership, but still refused to discuss specific details. There are concerns New Zealand's intellectual property laws, and its drug-buying agency Pharmac, may be in line for a shake-up as US lobby groups pressure trade negotiators to push for New Zealand law changes for the deal to be made.
Despite its prominence in the local TPP debate, Key said Pharmac had not been the issue people had been pushing in the talks.
"Intellectual property is an issue of concern, and that’s because this is a knowledge-based economy, not a manufacturing-based economy. It creates knowledge," Key said on Q&A.
"By definition we’re in the middle of the negotiation and so, you know, I can’t run those negotiations through the media. What I would say is, you know, I’m increasingly confident that we will get a deal done, but it’s not without its challenges," Key said.
"That means everybody puts everything on the table and starts negotiating our way through, but in the end, we’re going to do what’s in the best interests of New Zealand. It’s my view that Pharmac works extremely well. So we didn’t get into the weeds into the particular issues, but we did speak of wanting to complete a deal," he said.
"And, you know, I think New Zealanders can take a lot of confidence from the fact that we have some incredibly skilled negotiators, they know what they doing and Tim Groser, the Minister of Trade, has had probably the most experience at being the minister of trade we’ve had, so I’m confident we’re going to come out the other end with a deal that’s good for New Zealand."
7 Comments
Has any country ever benefitted from a free trade deal with the US? Those who go to war with them generally do better. In a world that is headed to a shortage of food what do we have to gain. We seem to be able to sell most of what we produce and this is only going to get easier. All we seem to do is compromise our ecconomic independance and make it easier for other countries to march in and take over our assets. To me deals such as this are best arranged between parties are that are more equal.
Would the Americans be willing to remove their agricultural subsidies in order to get a free trade agreement with us?
No I didn't think so.
So what's this all about? They won't really say apart from some vague referances to intellectual property - I wasn't aware we were in breach in that area. We'd just end up with Monsanto, big Pharma and the apalling US banking "industry" clipping our tickets ad infinitum.
This from last year - all 100% true as we are beginning to find out.
"More brazenly, they want any government to forfeit the right to introduce laws or policies that reduce the value of their investment without full compensation. They also want the right to sue for compensation before secret international tribunals.
Essentially, foreign corporates are requiring the TPP to give them iron-clad guarantees to make profits and more power over a government than its citizens could ever hope for. It's breathtakingly arrogant and sinister."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10693673
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