Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor is heading to London to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ Meeting and then to Paris to vice-chair the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting.
O’Connor will be travelling from June 3-11.
“My travel to the United Kingdom is well-timed, with the UK Free Trade Agreement entering into force this week,” he said.
“New Zealand exporters have seen $37 million in tariffs immediately eliminated and the deal will boost our GDP by up to $1 billion.”
The Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ Meeting will provide an opportunity to connect with Commonwealth partners and discuss issues such as outcomes on climate change and the commitment to a multilateral rules-based trading system.
While in France, O’Connor will vice-chair the OECD ministerial council meeting in Paris.
“Trade is key to our economic growth; one in four jobs depend on trade and we know that employment grows up to 12% faster when businesses start exporting. Our job is to open as many doors as possible for Kiwi firms and to continue to advocate for their interests on the world stage,” O’Connor said.
“The OECD Ministerial Council Meeting brings together representatives from 38 Member States under the theme Securing a Resilient Future. As vice-chair, I will have the chance to highlight the ways in which New Zealand is already focussed on a resilient future with our Trade for All agenda and our commitment to open and inclusive trade.”
O’Connor will also meet trade counterparts from the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade, and Sustainability (ACCTS), the Digital Economic Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and the European Union.
