CPTPP welcomed by winegrowers

The CPTPP is a welcome accomplishment for winegrowers.

New Zealand Winegrowers will welcome the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) according to their chief executive Philip Gregan.

"We've always been a nation of producers and traders — it's what we're good at," says Philip.

"Producing quality products and trading them with the world makes our economy strong, and means we can afford the schools, hospitals, roads and services that we all expect." He says New Zealand's trade agreements, adopted under successive governments, have been crucial to giving New Zealand businesses a fair crack at international markets.

"CPTPP is about setting clear rules, where all the signatory countries agree they will trade fairly, and within those rules," he says.

"As a tiny trading nation, agreements like this have given New Zealand businesses a lot more certainty.

"That certainty means that from small beginnings, our vineyards and wineries have been able to invest, grow and now provide work for 20,000 people around the country."

New Zealand's wine export to CPTPP countries was valued at $515m in the year to July 2017, and $1.6 billion dollars in total.

Coming at a time of rising global trade tensions, New Zealand Winegrowers regards the signing of CPTPP as a welcome affirmation that strong, clear global rules on trade are necessary to underpin the standard of living that New Zealanders have come to expect.

"CPTPP is New Zealand's first trade agreement with Japan, Mexico, Canada and Peru and will immediately make our wine more competitive in markets such as Canada, Japan and Malaysia by reducing import tariffs."