The Japanese market had been a major TPP focus, especially as the competitive position of our beef exports there was negatively affected by the recent Australia-Japan FTA, he said.
Federated Farmers president Dr William Rolleston said the deal appeared to be beneficial for agriculture and New Zealand.
He said while these trade deals were never perfect " ... and while we still await much of the detail, it's clear we are better off today than we were yesterday".
Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust chairman Derek Spratt said it was a good policy although the dairy sector did not get what it was after - but that was not unexpected.
However, he said it was early days and there were still many hurdles to cross before it was implemented.
"It is only documented at the moment and the first big hurdle is to get it through America because it could have the opposition over there boycott it. But it will have good benefits for New Zealand overall, eventually."
Fonterra chairman John Wilson said the TPP was a small but significant step forward for the dairy sector. "While I am very disappointed that the deal falls far short of TPP's original ambition to eliminate all tariffs, there will be some useful gains for New Zealand dairy exporters in key TPP markets such as the US, Canada and Japan. Greater benefits will be seen in future years as tariffs on some product lines are eliminated."
The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand chairman Malcolm Bailey said it too was disappointed the agreement had not delivered a more significant opening of TPP dairy markets.
Federated Farmers Rotorua, Taupo, provincial president Alan Wills said "there was a little bit in it for everybody and it's a good start".
Zespri chief executive Lain Jager said the industry paid more than $15 million in tariffs into Japan (its largest market) last year.
"If this tariff relief was passed straight through to New Zealand growers, it would equate to savings of over $1000 for every hectare of kiwifruit grown in New Zealand. This tariff elimination will also benefit Japanese consumers by supporting our competitiveness against other fruit in Japan."
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc president Neil Treblico said getting New Zealand to this advantageous point had been many years in the making and there would be significant savings for growers.
As a result of TPP:
* Tariffs on beef exports to TPP countries will be eliminated, with the exception of Japan where tariffs reduce from 38.5 per cent to 9 per cent.
* New Zealand dairy exporters will have preferential access to new quotas into the United States, Japan, Canada and Mexico, in addition to tariff elimination on a number of products.
* Tariffs on all other New Zealand exports to TPP countries - including fruit and vegetables, sheepmeat, forestry products, seafood, wine and industrial products - will be eliminated.
* TPP, like any free trade agreement, will go through New Zealand's Parliamentary processes and is expected to come into force within two years.
- Source, Trade Minister Tim Groser
