February 24, 2020
Maori views sought on trade hurdles
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Whenua will be top of mind when trade negotiators meet with Māori in Rotorua this week for the first consultation hui organised by new Māori trade body Te Taumata.
Chair Chris Karamea Insley says it’s the first of four such hui this year after the government heeded calls for Māori to have direct input into the work of the negotiators.
One of the main topics of the agenda is the use of geographic indicators, such as restricting the use of the word champagne to fizzy wine grown in a certain region in France.
Because of the complexity of the issues, Te Taumata sought an extension of the three-month consultation period and commissioned its own technical experts to look at them.
"The New Zealand Government will feed the views from the consultation into the Europe Union trade negotiation that commences around geographic place indicators in the middle of this year," he says.
The hui could also look at the ongoing trade dispute with Australia about use of the word manuka to describe honey, as well as hear about issues like climate change and the Covid19 coronavirus.
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