NZ, Australia want in on Asian trade pacts
NZ, Australia want in on Asian trade pacts
SINGAPORE (AP): New Zealand and Australia should be included
in Asian free-trade pacts, New Zealand Finance Minister Michael
Cullen said Wednesday.
Cullen told a group of business people in Singapore that he
was "concerned" about being excluded in an investment forum
between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and
South Korea, Japan and China.
He said the forum, which is called ASEAN plus three, should be
changed to ASEAN plus five to include Asia's southern neighbors.
Malaysia has been a firm opponent of including Australia and
New Zealand in Southeast Asia's planned free-trade zone, saying
the move would come at the expense of Southeast Asian unity.
Cullen said Singapore was "sympathetic" to his government's
desire to be included.
Singapore, which is a member of ASEAN, has signed a free-trade
deal with New Zealand and is negotiating one with Australia, but
no other members of ASEAN have free-trade deals with the New
Zealand or Australia.
New Zealand is also negotiating a trade deal with Hong Kong,
Cullen said. Hong Kong is not a member of ASEAN.
New Zealand and Australia enjoy free trade and close
economies. But Cullen said that even if Singapore concludes a
deal with Australia, it's unlikely the three countries would
create a "tripartite zone" because "all three of us are
interested in broader pacts."
He added that New Zealand was still interested in forming a
Pacific Five trade deal with the U.S., Australia, Chile and
Singapore, even though negotiations for that pact are stalled.
Cullen said New Zealand wanted trade deals to include
agriculture. Australia and New Zealand are involved in anti-
protectionist action in the World Trade Organization over lamb
and mutton exports to the U.S.
Both nations are major exporters of farm goods and want to
reduce trade barriers against them.
The biggest barrier to trade and investment in New Zealand is
the "tyranny of distance" and the country's small size, Cullen
said.