PDF Files of February 1, 2020 Issue

10
FEBRUARY 1, 2020
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Cairns Group advocates cut in
agricultural subsidies at Davos
A
Trade and Export Growth Minister David Park (RNZ Picture by Dom Thomas)
proposal to cut “trade and
production-distorting subsidies”
in the agricultural
sector by 2030 has set out
important measures to ensure a
fair agricultural trading system.
Speaking after attending meetings
of Trade Ministers in Davos,
Switzerland, Minister for Trade
and Export Growth David Parker
welcomed the joint proposal from
the 19-member “Cairns Group”
of agricultural exporting nations,
which includes New Zealand.
The following is his Statement:
These subsidies are harmful
to the environment and prevent
countries like New Zealand and
many developing countries from
competing fairly on the world
market.
All countries rely on a functioning
sustainable, affordable and
effective global food system.
For those of us who have built
exporting agricultural sectors it
is particularly important that we
continue the work to update the
WTO rules on agriculture.
The Cairns Group
The Cairns Group members
account for more than 25% of
world agricultural exports.
We also welcome renewed
efforts to address trade-distorting
subsidies on industrial goods.
This should form part of a
package of measures that also
address the long-standing concerns
in agriculture trade.
I am very pleased that
Switzerland had been included as
a negotiating partner to the Agreement
on Climate Change, Trade and
Sustainability (ACCTS) initiative,
joining New Zealand, Costa Rica,
Fiji, Norway and Iceland.
A joint statement by ACCTS
partners reaffirms the importance
of developing international trade
rules that support and advance
climate and broader sustainable
development objectives.
Trade policy can, and must play
a role in addressing the climate
change challenge, and our six
countries are ready to act now.
Negotiations are expected to
begin in March 2020.
During his visit to the 2020
World Economic Forum in Davos,
Mr Parker took part in a range of
sessions and met counterparts from
key WTO member countries.
Advancing trade agenda
Mr Parker said: “The meetings
were an opportunity to advance
New Zealand’s trade agenda before
the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference
to be held in Nur Sultan,
Kazakhstan, in June.
New Zealand will be pressing
hard for delivery at the Nur
Sultan meeting on world leaders’
commitment to eliminate harmful
fish subsidies by 2020. Both the
Cairns Group proposal and ACCTS
developments represent progress
in advancing our strategic trade
interests at a time when there is
considerable threat to the rules that
underpin the trading system.
“New Zealand is a leading voice
in global efforts to embed sustainable
trade practises, and we are at
the forefront of new multilateral
initiatives to shape an enduring and
enforceable rules-based trading system,
that creates a fair, level playing
field for all exporting nations.”
David Parker is Trade and Export
Growth Minister. He represented
New Zealand at the 50th Annual
Meeting of the World Economic
Forum held at Davos, Switzerland
from January 21 to 24, 2020.
Digital trade deal with Singapore, Chile agreed
A
new trade agreement
signed by the New Zealand
governments with the
governments of Singapore
and Chile will help exporters and
consumers take advantage of
opportunities offered by digital
trade.
Trade and Export Growth
Minister David Parker, Chile Vice
Trade Minister Rodrigo Yanez and
Singapore Trade and Industry Minister
Chan Chun Sing announced
that talks on a Digital Economy
Partnership Agreement (DEPA)
have been conclusive.
Keeping up with technology
Mr Parker said that New Zealand
has played a key role in this new
initiative to support digital trade
and that it is an important step in
making sure that trade rules reflect
the digital era.
“We have moved quickly since
launching negotiations in May
last year to bring this Agreement
together because we recognise that
international trade rules have not
kept up with the unprecedented
growth of digital trade. We believe
that small countries, not just large
ones, should help shape the new
rules,” he said.
Mr Parker said that DEPA will
make it easier for New Zealand
businesses and consumers to take
advantage of digital trade opportunities,
while protecting public and
private interests.
Pathfinder Agreement
“We think that this will be a
pathfinder agreement that will
apply initially to those countries
but will expand over time. We have
ensured that issues of importance
to New Zealanders such as the
Treaty of Waitangi, personal
Trade and Export Minister David Parker (INL File Photo)
privacy, consumer protection,
data management, transparency
and openness are appropriately
protected,” he said.
Digital technologies can help
small and medium-sized enterprises
overcome the challenges of scale
and distance, support greater
participation by women, Maori and
rural communities, to help spread
the benefits of trade widely, which
is a key aim of our Trade for All
policy, Mr Parker added.
Complementing WTO
“Digital trade is constantly
evolving. We may not know what
new technologies will emerge, but
we know it is valuable to have open
channels of communication with
close partners to discuss issues this
change can bring,” Mr Parker said.
According to him, DEPA complements
the ongoing WTO-based
negotiations on e-commerce, as well
as work within APEC and the OECD.
“It is consistent with our support
for multilateral rules, the DEPA is
an ‘open plurilateral’ agreement,
meaning it is open to other WTO
members who can meet its high
quality standards,” Mr Parker said.