Anne-Marie Trevelyan is on a trip to New Zealand and Australia to promote bilateral ties and increase trade with the 2 nations
The Secretary of State for International Trade, United Kingdom (U.K.) – Anne-Marie Trevelyan is on a trip to New Zealand and Australia to promote bilateral ties and increase trade with the 2 nations.
U.K. had earlier signed trade deals worth £ 800 million with New Zealand and £ 2.3 billion with Australia. The U.K.-New Zealand FTA is expected to boost trade by almost 60%, generating jobs and increasing wages. The U.K.-Australia FTA is expected to unlock £ 10.4 billion of additional trade, eliminating tariffs on 100% of U.K. exports.
The trip aims to support for the U.K.’s work to accede accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP is a £ 9 trillion trading block, which could see 99.9% of U.K. exports becoming eligible for tariff-free trade with the 11 member countries. This would further boost opportunities for U.K. businesses in the region.
In New Zealand, she received a formal Marae welcome, known as a Pōwhiri, in Rotorua, and tour Miraka, a Māori owned and sustainable milk processing plant. She also met the Māori Trade Advisory Board – Te Taumata, where she discussed the opportunities to boost Māori business cooperation through the U.K.-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
Taking it to twitter, Trevelyan tweeted,
Honoured to be greeted with a formal Māori welcome here in Mōkai on my second day in #NewZealand.
— Anne-Marie Trevelyan (@annietrev) August 27, 2022
🌏 Trade supports local communities. The new 🇬🇧🇳🇿 trade deal contains opportunities to increase export & investment, support jobs & shared business values. @UKinNZ @LouiseUpston pic.twitter.com/MowA8r31sP
She further tweeted,
Fascinating to visit Māori-run milk plant Miraka and business leaders of Te Taumata to discuss how our 🇬🇧🇳🇿 trade deal opens opportunities for values-based Maori businesses, with innovative clean energy investment & sustainability goals in 🇬🇧&🇳🇿https://t.co/Qoc7scjtp0 pic.twitter.com/Ofhd08oDbq
— Anne-Marie Trevelyan (@annietrev) August 27, 2022
Speaking on the occasion, the British Consul General and Deputy Trade Commissioner Asia Pacific (Australia & New Zealand) – Louise Cantillon said, “Trade is a huge part of the modern partnership between the UK and Australia and New Zealand, and I am delighted to welcome the International Trade Secretary to this region.”
Cantilon further said, “This is her first visit since the Free Trade Agreements were signed and is a key part of our work to prepare businesses to make the most of the deals. In NZ I’m particularly pleased we are able to meet with so many Maori businesses who will benefit from the FTA Chapter to promote the benefits of international trade.”
The agenda also includes meeting the Minister for Trade and Export Growth – Damien O’Connor, where the two will discuss to maximise the benefits of the trade agreement and increase business awareness of it. On the final leg of her visit, she will visit Babcock International to promote U.K. and New Zealand defence industry partnerships.
In Sydney, she will visit Qantas, where she will be briefed about Project Sunrise and purchase of key Airbus plane components and Rolls Royce engines. She will host an Electric Vehicle roundtable to promote the strengths of the U.K.’s tech ecosystem and launch a Net Zero Innovation handbook, to showcase British expertise in climate tech. She will also visit Central Station, where U.K. and Australia partnership is leading the way in sustainable design and engineering.
She will then move to Adelaide to meet the leading defence companies including BMT, MacTaggart Scott and the BAE Systems frigate shipyard. She will also deliver a speech alongside her counterpart, Minister Farrell, on the next steps of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and the wider UK business and trading relationship.
