Minister travels to Mexico and USA

Trade Minister Tim Groser departs today for Mexico to attend the Pacific Alliance Summit in Punta Mita, and undertake bilateral meetings in Mexico City. Mr Groser will then visit Washington D.C. and New York to carry out a range of trade and foreign affairs focussed activities.

New Zealand is an observer member of the Pacific Alliance, a Latin American trade bloc, with four member states - Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.

“My focus at the Summit will be to explore ways to deepen New Zealand’s economic engagement with the Pacific Alliance. In the margins of the Summit I will meet with my trade counterparts from around Latin America,” Mr Groser says.

“In Mexico City, I will meet with my trade counterparts and undertake public speaking engagements. These activities will provide an opportunity to engage with key decision makers within the Mexican Government on trade and agriculture related topics including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I will also meet with a number of New Zealand companies located in Mexico.

“Following the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington this week, I will undertake a range of trade related meetings in Washington, including engagements with the Administration, Congress, and business groups which share New Zealand’s interest in concluding a high quality, comprehensive TPP agreement.

“While in New York I will take the opportunity to promote New Zealand’s United Nations Security Council campaign and meet with a range of important stakeholders in the UN system,” says Mr Groser.