The White House website has been updated with a new trade strategy in the wake of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers,” the website states.

“President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA,” it continues. “If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the President will give notice of the United States’ intent to withdraw from NAFTA.

Many critics argue that Trump’s desire to withdraw from the 12-country TPP, which includes Canada, Mexico and Japan, contradicts his anti-China attitude on trade.

They see the trade deal — which excludes China but includes other Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam — as an attempt to limit China’s economic influence.

Scrapping the deal in essence strengthens China’s economic dominance in Asia, critics say.

And the U.S.’s withdrawal from the TPP has not yet killed the deal entirely.  >  >  >  Continue to read the full article

|  From The Huff Post, Canada - January 21, 2017  |

UAE, January 18, 2017 - H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy (MOE), affirmed that the economic relations between the UAE and New Zealand continue to grow and are expected to develop further as the two countries aspire to strengthen cooperation in a number of economic sectors of common interest and prioritized within their respective development plans.

The announcement came during a meeting between the UAE Minister of Economy and H.E. Todd McClay, New Zealand Minister of Trade, and his accompanying delegation at the MOE’s Dubai headquarters. Both parties demonstrated the potentials of increasing trade and strengthening cooperation in a number of areas, most notably agriculture and food, renewable energy, innovation, civil aviation, and tourism. The officials also discussed the current status of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and New Zealand. They touched on major issues that could be raised at the next meeting of the Joint Economic Committee which is set to take place this year in New Zealand.

Among the MOE officials who attended the meeting were H.E. Eng. Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Shehhi, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs; H.E. Humaid bin Butti Al Muhairi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Corporate Sector and Consumer Protection; Abdullah Sultan AlFan AlShamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs; and other senior officials and advisers. New Zealand was represented by Jeremy Clarke-Watson, New Zealand's Ambassador to the UAE; H.E. Kevin John Mckenna, Consul General of New Zealand; and the New Zealand Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, Rebecca Wood.

H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori stated that the country's leadership prioritizes innovation and thus places great importance on the National Innovation Strategy. He highlighted the strong interest of the UAE Ministry of Economy to closely work and cooperate with New Zealand on innovation initiatives, as it looks to complete the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties.

The Minister further explained that the next meeting, the 6th session of the Joint Economic Committee, will be an important platform for accelerating the pace of current cooperative agreements. The session will also facilitate discussions on ways to increase development opportunities and overcome potential challenges that may affect the productive bilateral relations, particularly their economic, trade, and investment ties and partnerships with the private sector.

The UAE Minister of Economy added that cooperation in the agricultural and food industries and enabling the UAE's agricultural investments in New Zealand through the latest innovative tools top the list of the Committee’s agenda for its upcoming meeting given their major roles in addressing the country’s food security. The meeting will also focus on cooperation in civil aviation, which is a key factor for the mutual development of trade, investment and tourism.

Both Ministers discussed the latest updates on the FTA between New Zealand and the GCC, with H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori clarifying that the agreement is now in its final stages and is currently undergoing legal review by some of the GCC countries before final approval. He noted the importance of the agreement in enhancing trade and investment exchange between the two parties.

H.E. McClay expressed his country’s paramount interest on the approval of the FTA because of its significant impact on increasing trade volumes with the countries in the region, and commended the UAE’s major role through the Ministry of Economy in making this agreement a reality.

The Minister also discussed the possibility of bilateral cooperation in gaining access to new regional markets by capitalizing on the economic benefits and the strategic geographical location of both countries. The UAE Minister noted the importance of the UAE as a commercial gateway that ably facilitates New Zealand’s trade access to the Middle East, African and European markets, and New Zealand’s value as a significant link for the UAE to access South American markets. He called for sustained communication to open up more trade prospects for both countries.

Total foreign trade between the UAE and New Zealand reached USD 1.6 billion in 2016, and is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as both countries continue to push bilateral trade and economic cooperation initiatives.

H.E. McClay said that New Zealand will soon push ahead with the development and expansion of hospitality projects in several cities, noting that this move opens an important opportunity for UAE investments that have successfully built a global reputation in this sector.

In response, H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori urged New Zealand companies to explore the prospects of doing business in the UAE which offers an advanced economic environment, facilities, benefits and development incentives particularly conducive to the growth of high-value industries.

H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori said that these form part of the government’s directives towards establishing a knowledge-based economy focused on innovation, creativity and technology, particularly in transport, renewable energy, infrastructure, and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

• Brexit is being driven as much by fear of immigration as passion for free trade
• We need to embrace Africa and Latin America, not just our old and slow-growing friends
• Britain must genuinely open up to all corners of a fast-changing world

Theresa May yesterday gave the clearest indication of Britain’s future direction of travel. Her mantra is “Global Britain” – a phrase we will hear endlessly over coming years. The referendum was a vote “to become even more global and internationalist in action and in spirit”, she said.

Certainly, it was good to hear May speak passionately about the power of free trade, not least as the lethally protectionist Donald Trump becomes president of the United States.

But this flies in face of quitting the single market – collectively the world’s biggest economy and destination for almost half of Britain’s exports. Indeed, there was deep irony that May’s speech was in the same venue, Lancaster House, where Margaret Thatcher once extolled this noble concept of unfettered access.

The truth is that for all May’s fine words, there are significant problems with her vision of “Global Britain”.

The first is in the timescale. No one should doubt that sorting out extraction from the European Union and creating scores of new trading arrangements is a mind-bogglingly complex, delicate process with massive consequences

Yet as the clock ticks on Britain’s departure from the European Union, there will be fierce pressure on the Prime Minister to prove her country can stand alone. Already she has been attacked, often unfairly, for obfuscation.

The danger in trying to rush through the kind of deals that will be needed – both with the EU 27 and others – was put to me by a senior cabinet minister recently.

He gave the example of the bilateral trade deal between China and Switzerland. Concluded just under three years ago, it was hailed as the first between the planet’s emerging superpower and a leading Western economy, the culmination of nine rounds of negotiations, starting in 2010.

But while the deal gave 99.7 per cent of Chinese goods tariff-free access to Swiss markets, it was significantly less generous for trade heading in the opposite direction.

Shortly before conclusion of the talks, the chief Swiss negotiator pleaded for a special dispensation for watchmakers selling to their third biggest market, pointing out that China did not produce luxury timepieces.

His Chinese counterpart smiled. “You may have the watches,” he replied. “But we have time on our side.”

Despite Mrs May’s brave talk of dispensing with a deal if it is on the wrong terms, she is the leader needing to find solutions far more than those she faces over the negotiating table. This means she is more likely to grant the greater concessions.

Similarly, Mrs May talked yesterday of ensuring Britain is a world centre for science and innovation, pledging to continue collaboration with Europe. Quite right, too. Yet already such partnerships are fraying following last year’s vote.

Europe may also have other ideas, focusing on internal collaboration rather than aiding a turncoat. Note how a Swiss threat to end single market participation led to the instant severing of academic ties three years ago.

Yet there is a far more fundamental problem with the prime minister’s plan – which is that its vision of a Global Britain appears to be blurred, to put it kindly.

One of the main factors forcing Britain from the single market, and probably the customs union, is not a desire to embrace free trade. It is Mrs May’s antipathy to immigration, fostered in the Home Office and fuelled by last year’s referendum.

To her credit, she has at least made it clear that controlling immigration comes first. This follows her constriction of border controls at the Home Office and her refusal to exclude students from the Government’s immigration cap, to the detriment of both Britain’s businesses and its world-beating universities.

So it is clear, despite promises of some campaigners, that Brexit will not lead to a significantly more liberal stance for migrants from outside Europe.

Mrs May talked also in grand terms about creating a more global Britain “not for ourselves, but for those who follow. For the country’s children and grandchildren”.

Already we hear much talk of the Anglosphere, as traditionalists promote the cause of deeper alliances with the likes of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

British and New Zealand leaders have talked of a “high quality” deal, with international trade secretary Liam Fox being despatched to Wellington in coming months. Meanwhile, a few glib words from a slippery president-elect led to huge excitement among Brexiteers.

But if the nation is really focusing on long-term prizes – a sensible idea, given the short-term disruption to business that will follow even a benign Brexit – where is the effort to woo the powerhouses of the future in the developing world?

Not just China and India, important as they are, but the rapidly-growing nations of Africa and Latin America?

Australia, Canada and New Zealand are today worth about $3 trillion, and growing at the same unexciting speed as other mature nations – perhaps 2 per cent over coming decades. New Zealand is smaller economically than Romania, let alone the likes of Argentina, Iran or Nigeria.

As the economist Charles Robertson explained in his book The Fastest Billion, Nigeria alone will be worth $6 trillion by 2050. The entire African continent – its population due to double to two billion by that date – will be worth almost $30 trillion.

To put this figure in perspective, it is bigger than the combined economies of the United States and Eurozone.Elsewhere on CapX

Yet Britain, obsessed with aid not trade, is seeing its share of that growth slip while others from China to India, Brazil and Turkey move in on fast-expanding consumer societies.

This is highly damaging, not least given Britain’s historic links to these areas – the shared language in many parts, the immense soft power of our culture, and even our Premier League football.

Nigerians, for example, are among biggest per capita spenders in our shops – and like several other African nations including Ghana and Kenya, are keen consumers of British education.

Yet from businesspeople to tourists, many Africans have found the costs of obtaining British visas soaring, the hurdles of hostile officialdom rising ever higher, and the consequent attraction of dealing with other nations increasing.

Having been involved in bringing musicians from all over Africa into Britain, I am well aware of visa horrors endured even by some of the continent’s most famous names. And I have heard frequently from middle-class Africans about their disgust at being treated with such disdain by our suspicious system.

So where is the effort to push deals with African countries, despite several being among the world’s fastest-growing economies in recent years? Or a Latin American giant such as Brazil?

Where, in other words, is the focus on the countries and emerging economies that will dominate the future – not just those places that have been our old friends in the past? Where is the recognition that these countries will need access to Britain not just for their goods but for their students and businesspeople, their thinkers and tourists?

If I really thought Brexit would lead to a genuinely global shift in British attitudes, then I would feel far more optimistic about these tumultuous events – and about some of the sentiments in May’s landmark speech.

But at the moment, the self-defeating focus on immigration limits any sense of a genuine global stance.

If Britain really wants to make the most of Brexit, to truly fulfil the Prime Minister’s promise “to become even more global and internationalist in action and in spirit”, it needs to shed the hostility to foreigners that drove so much of the Brexit debate – and genuinely open up to all corners of a fast-changing world.

| A CAPX release  by Ian Birrell  |  January 18, 2017  |

The British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke enthusiastically about the opportunities provided by the Commonwealth during a landmark speech on the British Government’s plans for Brexit.

Speaking at Lancaster House, London, Mrs May said, “I want us to be a truly Global Britain... A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

“Even now as we prepare to leave the EU, we are planning for the next biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018 – a reminder of our unique and proud global relationships.”

The next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting is to be held in the UK with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in attendance. Heads of state and senior officials from all of the 52 counties which make up the Commonwealth will be invited.

Throughout the much anticipated speech, the prime minister announced intentions to lead Britain to a single market with significantly increased trade between Britain and both the remaining EU members and countries outside Europe. She expressed her focus to build free trade agreements between Britain and emerging global superpowers, including some Commonwealth nations.

We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India.She said, “We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India.”

At the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting taking place in March, trade opportunities post-Brexit will be high on the agenda. Ministers for economy, trade and industry from across the Commonwealth are expected to attend.

The Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, welcomed Mrs May’s recognition of trade opportunities with Commonwealth nations. She said, “Countries like India, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Jamaica and Sri Lanka have already asked the Secretariat to undertake a detailed analysis of the trade opportunities which may arise post-Brexit and the ways in which they can deepen their trading engagement with the UK.

The meeting of trade ministers in March will explore the existing opportunities within the Commonwealth and ways in which we can strengthen intra-Commonwealth networks, improve the way we trade and provide mutual support to boost competitiveness of our nations. Our research shows that when both partners are Commonwealth members, trade costs between them are 19 percentage points lower than other country pairs.”

|  A  PressReleasePoint release  |  january 17, 2017  |

Theresa May is expected to reveal the most detailed insight yet into her approach to Brexit negotiations, in a speech on Tuesday.

She will urge people to give up on "insults" and "division" and unite to build a "global Britain".

Downing Street said reports she may signal pulling out of the single market and customs union were "speculation".

It comes as the chancellor said the UK could "change its economic model" if it loses access to the single market.

The BBC's political correspondent, Chris Mason, said Downing Street was confirming little about precisely what Mrs May would say in her Brexit plan speech, but "a possible route map the prime minister could be preparing to follow is emerging".

Her desire to control immigration suggested giving up the UK's existing membership of the single market, he added, while her enthusiasm for trade deals with countries such as New Zealand implied leaving the customs union.

Several of Sunday's newspapers claim Mrs May will indicate she is prepared to outline a "hard Brexit" approach.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted a government source as saying: "She's gone for the full works. People will know when she said 'Brexit means Brexit', she really meant it."

In her speech, the prime minister is expected to call on the country to "put an end to the division" created by the EU referendum result.

She will urge the UK to leave behind words such as "Leaver and Remainer and all the accompanying insults and unite to make a success of Brexit and build a truly global Britain".

Mrs May is also expected to outline a commitment to building a Britain more open to the rest of the world while building a new relationship with EU countries.

On Friday, she met New Zealand's prime minister Bill English who said he wanted to negotiate a "high quality" free trade agreement with the UK once it left the EU.

Mrs May said she was looking forward to starting talks on what she called a "bold" new trade deal between the two countries.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Brexit Secretary David Davis said the government needed to persuade EU allies that a "strong new partnership" with the UK would allow the EU to prosper.

He admitted agreeing new terms would be "testing" and suggested there might be a transitional arrangement to ensure Britain's exit was a smooth process.

|  A NewNation release  |  January 16, 2017

A newly launched joint data sharing system between New Zealand and Chinese Customs will give kiwi exporters a competitive advantage, says Customs Minister Nicky Wagner.

“Having the Joint Electronic Verification System operational gives New Zealand a big advantage over other exporters to China as we are only the second country in the world to have this sort of system in place with them.

“JEVS makes the customs process simpler to accelerate border clearance, provide greater assurance over goods, and decrease the risk of goods being held up due to minor issues.

“The new joint system automatically sends New Zealand’s Certificate of Origin data to China electronically. A Certificate of Origin is important because it allows overseas clients to claim tariff benefits.

“It will give New Zealand businesses the opportunity to maximise our Free Trade Agreement with China while minimising the risk of goods being held up at the border,” Ms Wagner says.

|  A Minister of Customs release  |  January 15, 2017  |

WELLINGTON， Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will be in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week in another bid to finalize a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf states.

MClay said Friday he would be pressing for a conclusion to the negotiations between New Zealand and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)， which began back in 2009.

McClay would meet bilaterally with ministerial counterparts and business leaders， including UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoor and Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce Khalid Nasser Al Roudhan.

"This is my third visit to the region since becoming trade minister and it is important that we continue to lobby for the conclusion of the agreement. Progress on a GCC FTA will offer greater opportunity for New Zealand companies in this highly competitive market，" McClay said in a statement.

The GCC comprising Saudi Arabia， the UAE， Kuwait， Qatar， Bahrain and Oman was New Zealand's eighth largest trading partner， with annual two-way trade exceeding 3.5 billion NZ dollars (2.49 billion U.S. dollars).

In September last year， New Zealand and Saudi Arabian leaders appeared to have overcome stumbling blocks towards a long-anticipated FTA， after McClay held talks with Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi and they agreed to work towards its early completion.

In 2015， then New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visited the GCC states， and said Saudi Arabia was going to be the stumbling block to the deal.

It was believed that Saudi government took umbrage over New Zealand's ban on exports of live sheep a trade in which Saudi businesses had invested heavily.

McClay would travel to Switzerland on Jan. 19 and 20 to attend a meeting of key World Trade Organization (WTO) trade ministers to discuss developments in the multilateral trading system and prospects for progress ahead of the 11th WTO Ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires.

|  A SINA release  |  January 13, 2017  |

With few exceptions, governments across Europe do not like Donald Trump’s policies. As he prepares to enter the White House, the U.S. president-elect has already spoken extensively about making America great again. In particular, his economic policies seem protectionist, and his foreign policy, particularly with regard to Israel and Russia, will pose serious challenges to the EU. But instead of moaning about what is still Europe’s greatest ally, EU leaders should respond to the new administration in several ways.

These responses are not about countering U.S. influence, which would be impossible in any case. They are about understanding why and how the EU has to become a serious player in its own right and stop wanting the United States to keep fixing things. It’s time the EU started fixing its own house.

First are defense and security. Because the EU is not going to have its own viable defense structures in the foreseeable future, the European members of NATO will have to spend more on defense. This is about protecting their own citizens and their democracies.

This cannot be overestimated. The European allies have to be able to defend NATO’s Eastern and Southern members—not simply use the rhetoric of reassurance. Whether it is against Russian hybrid warfare, terrorism, or cyberattacks, NATO’s European allies, along with the EU, have to step up their cooperation and capabilities.

Second, the EU and NATO have to spell out their goals for their Eastern neighbors. Economic support for Ukraine and closer ties with Moldova and Georgia are not enough. These moves have to be underpinned by a political commitment that sets out the objective of the EU’s relationship with these neighbors. Postponing this issue will lead to a vacuum that Russia is all too keen to exploit and fill to ensure that this region will be Russia’s sphere of influence, not Europe’s.

Third, if Trump is true to his word about moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and supporting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s settlement policy, one can only guess how the Palestinians will react.

The EU, which has played a miserable role in the Middle East and given billions of euros of aid to the Palestinians without much political impact or strategy, will be reduced to damage limitation. In practice, this means promoting stabilization policies that would focus on economic, social, and judicial issues. The EU’s influence will continue to be extremely limited.

The fourth issue is trade. The EU is in no position to adopt protectionist policies, even though that has been the reflex of populist and antiglobalization movements. Many member states that pay lip service to a more open trade policy oppose ratifying important trade agreements with Canada, Japan, Singapore, and, in the future, New Zealand. They want to protect their own markets.

But trade is not only about reducing tariffs; it is also about influence. Trade is about consolidating ties with like-minded countries, such as Canada and New Zealand, that hold the same values as Europe.

If Trump wants to pursue his protectionist policies, the EU should exploit that by speeding up trade accords. Yes, national parliaments will be able to veto such deals if they step outside the powers of the European Commission, which has the exclusive right to negotiate and implement trade accords provided they are only trade-related. But the commission has tended to stick to its powers rather than go for so-called mixed agreements that require member-state involvement. This is a big opportunity for the EU to counter U.S. protectionism. It is a big opportunity to knit alliances.

Finally, it’s time for EU leaders in Brussels to remind all member states why the EU was founded and what it is based on. It is a community of values based above all on solidarity and tolerance, media freedom, decency, and human rights. This is why countries—whether former fascist states or those with a military junta such as Spain, Portugal, and Greece or the former Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe—joined the EU in the first place. They knew they were delegating some of their sovereignty to Brussels in return for a special kind of solidarity.

If Poland, Hungary, or other countries reject these values, then they should pay some price in terms of access to the EU’s structural funds for poorer regions or even voting rights. Despite its remoteness from citizens and its inability and unwillingness to get out of the Brussels bubble, the EU cannot afford for its members to reject the fundamental values that they signed up to. And if EU leaders such as Czech President Miloš Zeman have praise only for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, EU leaders should ask why.

In short, whining about Trump only gives the impression that the EU knows better or has the moral high ground. Both have still to be proved.

|  AJudy Dempsey's Strategic Europe article  | January 12, 2017  |

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, met with New Zealand Foreign Minister, the Honourable Murray McCully at Iveagh House for talks today.

At the meeting the Ministers discussed the opportunities and challenges that have arisen as a result of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

The Ministers also spoke about Ireland’s bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and exchanged national rugby jerseys.

“The Irish bid team regularly refer to New Zealand’s hosting of the World Cup in 2011 as the inspiration for the Irish bid. That tournament was a remarkable success and demonstrated that a country similar in size to Ireland could successfully host this event.”

As Ireland prepares to campaign for a place on the UN Security Council 2020, the Ministers held a useful exchange on New Zealand’s experience as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2015 and 2016. Minister Flanagan commented:

“Learning from the experiences of a small like-minded state such as New Zealand is very useful to us and is an example of our close cooperation on international issues. I would like to congratulate Minister McCully on New Zealand’s consistent and principled approach as a Security Council member and the significant progress New Zealand made on issues such as tackling the root causes of conflict.”

Minister Flanagan also spoke about the Irish and New Zealand diaspora, noting the key role played by diaspora from both countries.

“There are over 600,000 New Zealanders who can trace their heritage back to Ireland out of a total population of 4.7 million, while nearly 30,000 Irish citizens have spent time working in New Zealand in the last decade alone, including significant numbers of Irish construction workers who contributed to the reconstruction effort since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Developments on the proposed EU – New Zealand Free Trade Agreement were discussed as well as bilateral trade opportunities, where there is much potential to be realised. The Ministers also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, the ongoing migration crisis and developments in the Asia Pacific region.

| A MerrionStreet release  |  January 11, 2017  |

New Zealand make-at-home yogurt business EasiYo Products is looking to grow its business in Europe through a tie-up with Ireland-based dairy group Ornua.

An agreement between the two companies will see EasiYo's yogurt mixes made outside New Zealand for the first time.

Ornua will blend and pack its Irish dairy powders into EasiYo's mixes at its site in Leek in central England.

Brian Dewar, EasiYo's CEO, said: "The UK and EU markets represent a multi-million pound opportunity for us to capitalise on this growing consumer trend of people who love to make fresh wholesome food at home. Moving manufacture and supply closer to our key accounts means we can respond to our customers' needs much faster as well significantly improving our environmental footprint."

EasiYo sells its products through UK retailers including Holland & Barrett and Lakeland. Much of its distribution in Europe is through TV shopping channel QVC, although the brand does have listings in stores in Belgium. The company would not comment on whether it was targeting multiple retailers but does want to significantly increase its distribution. Its customers in New Zealand and Australia include major grocery chains Countdown, Woolworths and Coles.

Alastair Jackson, the managing director of Ornua Nutrition Ingredients, said the Irish company's manufacturing would "provide a strong platform for the production of EasiYo as it expands its presence in the UK and European marketplace".

|  A just-food release  |  January 11, 2017  |