Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay (centre), with Bartley Group Holdings managing director Brendon Bartley (left) and Whanganui MP Carl Bates, during a visit to Ali Arc Industries. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay (centre), with Bartley Group Holdings managing director Brendon Bartley (left) and Whanganui MP Carl Bates, during a visit to Ali Arc Industries. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay sees “a lot of growth” opportunities for Whanganui exporters and farmers, despite the recent tariff rate talk.
McClay, guided by Whanganui MP Carl Bates, spent the day on August 26 working his way down the west coast to speak with exporting businesses and farmersto gather feedback and the challenges they face.
The pair visited aluminium vehicle accessories manufacturer Ali Arc Industries hard-workingin Whanganui.
McClay said it was important for him to get out into the community and support hard-working businesses.
“I always think, if you only sit in Wellington, you are talking to officials and the minister, [but] the solutions to the challenges can often be out on the business community and farms.”
McClay said the Whanganui area is a powerhouse of New Zealand’s economy with the exporting businesses and ability to generate energy.
“I get around the country a lot, but this part of the country is a big contributor to all of the things New Zealand does overseas which can create jobs,” he said.
He said although tariffs harmed trade, New Zealand and Whanganui exporters were able to adjust well and were used to selling elsewhere.
“New Zealand’s export economy is not based on any one part of the world so New Zealand exporters have choices on where they put products and they’ll make decisions themselves based on the prices or the relative uncertainty and risk,” McClay said.
“We are a small economy compared to the US, we trade with them fairly, we have low tariff rates, there are many other large economies that have huge surpluses and high tariff rates – we are more likely collateral damage as a result of decision-making.”
McClay will continue to discuss the tariffs with the US to see how much more certainty can be created but he “will bite” if the rates are raised for New Zealand.
Trade Minister Todd McClay (right) met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington to discuss tariffs on August 22.
He said the Government wanted to build the future for the Whanganui area by helping people sell more overseas.
McClay said the Fast-track Approvals Bill would allow people to start doing things quicker by getting quicker consent, which would help grow the economy.
“I see a lot of growth in this area because it is a powerhouse of New Zealand’s economy, I think over the six years over Covid, it was held back and our job is to unlock that and let businesses get on and I know that they are up for it.”
Bates said it was great to show McClay around the area.
“It’s always good getting a Cabinet minister into town because it is unique, we’ve got that agricultural sector, got a large part of the off-farm production happening and we’ve got specialist manufacturing exporters,” Bates said.
