Off the wire
• Philippines, EU hold first round of FTA negotiations  • UN warns of widening woman-men gap in Vietnam  • Chinese, Vietnamese military officials hail achievements in cooperation  • China maintains competitive edge: HSBC  • Indonesia hosts seminar to celebrate 25th ASEAN-China relations anniversary  • Israel releases Palestinian MP after 14 months in detention  • Uruguayan FM to visit China  • Spotlight: Clinton ridicules Trump's temperament in foreign policy address  • Roundup: Brazil denounces call for postponement of Olympics, increases funding on Zika  • Roundup: Int'l community condemns Mogadishu hotel bombing as death toll rises to 16  
You are here: 　 Home

New Zealand seeking end to TiSA talks this year: Trade Minister

Xinhua, June 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

New Zealand has reaffirmed its commitment to concluding talks on the disputed Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) by the end of this year, Trade Minister Todd McClay said Friday.

McClay, who attended a TiSA ministerial meeting on the margins of an OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) meeting in Paris this week, said ministers had welcomed the progress in negotiations.

"I expressed New Zealand's commitment to work to conclude negotiations by the end of 2016. I am focused on getting the best outcomes for New Zealand, which include private education, IT, transport services, environmental and professional services sectors," McClay said in a statement.

Services accounted for two thirds of New Zealand's economic activity and 70 percent of employment, and service sector exports were worth 20 billion NZ dollars (13.67 billion U.S. dollars) last year, almost 30 percent of the country's total exports of goods and services.

McClay said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would hold public discussion sessions in Wellington and Auckland later this month, so members of the public could learn more about the agreement.

"New Zealand negotiators will outline progress in the negotiations to date. Negotiators will explain how they are working to tackle barriers to New Zealand services trade and protect important areas of New Zealand policy and regulation, including the provision of public services," he said.

In addition, negotiators continue to engage with business leaders, sector groups, unions and other stakeholders on the issues under negotiation.

The TiSA is being negotiated by 23 parties, including the European Union and the United States, and is aimed at liberalizing trade in services, but critics claim the talks have been mired in secrecy and the agreement would force the privatization of many state services. Endit