Trade Minister to attend G20 meeting

Trade minister Tim Groser. Photo / APN

A New Zealand minister has been invited to take part in the G20 trade talks for the first time.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will represent New Zealand at the meeting of G20 trade ministers in Mexico this week.

It would be the first time New Zealand had participated at a ministerial level meeting of the G20.

The G20 is a grouping of 20 large and significant economies, it was established in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008 as a forum for international economic cooperation

Mr Groser said he was looked forward to speaking to ministers of major economies about the international trade agenda.

He said it was a significant step for New Zealand to be invited to participate in the group and demonstrated the growth of New Zealand's reputation in international trade.

The meeting will focus on trade liberalisation.

Mr Groser said ministers would discuss how economies were increasingly interconnected through global value chains and what it meant for trade and economic policy.

"They will also focus on trade as a source of growth and jobs, and explore ways to keep markets open to achieve further trade liberalisation," he said.

Mr Groser will travel to Mexico from Indonesia, where he has been with Prime Minister John Key.

The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, the European Union.