FOMA Welcomes New Trade Opportunities through TPPA
Tuesday 6 October, 2015
FOMA Welcomes New Trade Opportunities through TPPA
Federation of Maori Authorities Chairman Traci Houpapa welcomes the signed TPP as a new approach to strategic and political partnerships, "New Zealand is a trading nation, we must optimise our exports and trade relationships for the wealth and prosperity of all New Zealanders."
She says the TPP
laid a new trade and export pathway for New Zealand and for
Maori enabling access to a wider regional economic agreement
for the greater Pacific Rim.
"Maori have always traded
across Te Moananui A Kiwa so the TPP is a contemporary
expression of age-old trading routes. The removal of
tariffs is an immediate advantage for Maori exporters and
the agreement sets the stage for better gains in the future.
New Zealand has been represented by arguably the best trade
negotiators in the world in the TPP talks and we are
confident that Minister Grosser and his team have landed the
best possible deal for New Zealand."
She said that it was
critical that New Zealand took its place at the TPP table
alongside other major economies. "The TPP is about building
partnerships through which we might grow our exports and
trade potential. This agreement is the result of trade
talks and negotiations led over time by both Labour and
National, and it is important to remember that the TPP has
the potential to benefit all New Zealanders."
Established in 1987, FOMA is the largest national Maori economic network representing around 150 Maori Authorities with a collective asset base of around $9billion with interests largely in the primary industry. Many of FOMAs members are established exporters to Asia, North America and Europe.
ENDS