US, New Zealand Officials Look to Deepen Trade Ties

US and New Zealand officials are exploring options to deepen bilateral trade ties, with the possibility of formal trade talks being floated. New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay met with US trade officials, including US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer and US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, during his trip to the North American nation last week. While details about the specifics of their discussions were limited, both parties released statements about the continued trade relationship between New Zealand and the United States. In an interview with Politico, McClay said that there are “countries of the world that are looking to do deals with each other that a year or two ago may not have been.” Furthermore, in an official statement , he said that Wellington welcomes Washington’s “interest in an FTA as a demonstration of the good shape our trading relationship is in.” The New Zealand government announced earlier this year an objective that would have 90 percent of goods exported by 2030 to be covered by FTAs. Currently, just over half are covered, therefore the country has been looking for partners to develop additional free trade deals. The US is New Zealand’s third largest trading partner. The office of...