The New Zealand trade minister, Todd McClay, is in Europe this week, where he hopes to move forward both the process for the negotiations for a free-trade agreement between the EU and New Zealand and talks for a post-Brexit trade deal between his country and the United Kingdom, the New Zealand government announced on Friday 14 October.
The future of trade relations between New Zealand and the UK once the latter leaves the EU will be central to McClay's visit to London and his talks with the UK secretary of state for trade, Liam Fox. The meeting "will be an opportunity to again reinforce the importance of our trading relationship and that New Zealand will seek a trade deal with the UK once they are in a position to do so", the New Zealand minister stated.
McClay also hopes to move forward the process with the EU which started in 2015 for free-trade negotiations with the bloc, at a meeting with the European commissioner for trade, Cecilia Malmstrom, on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the WTO, in Oslo on 21 and 22 October.
At a meeting of their leaders in Brussels on 29 October 2015, the EU and New Zealand undertook to start the process for bilateral free-trade negotiations. Preparations for this process began in February of this year (see EUROPE 11491).
"The EU-New Zealand free-trade agreement is a priority, as is our relationship with the UK. We are grateful for the strong assurances we have received that New Zealand's trade interests with both the EU and the UK will not be affected by the Brexit vote", McClay commented. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)