ASEAN trade talks in Wellington
Radio New Zealand
ASEAN Trade Talks in Wellington
6 March 2007
The eighth round of trade talks between New Zealand, Australia and 10 Southeast Asian countries begins in Wellington on Tuesday as negotiators try to reach a deal by the end of the year.
Negotiations began two years ago and this week’s talks are seen as crucial, if a free trade deal is to be reached on time.
Negotiations between New Zealand and Australia and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have not gone smoothly.
The lead Australian negotiator Michael Mugliston says it’s already clear what the sticking points are: South-east Asian countries are worried about sensitive goods, particularly some agricultural exports, and they’re also not keen on opening up their services markets.
New Zealand Trade Negotiations Minister Phil Goff has told the negotiators they must be ambitious to ensure the ASEAN-CER deal is finished by the end of the year.
This week the negotiators expect to agree on a framework from which each country will make their offers on opening up their markets, under the deal.
