Latin trade negotiations

Stuff reports:

New Zealand has signed an agreement to start trade negotiations with a four-country Latin American bloc.

The go-ahead comes after Trade Minister Todd McClay met the presidents of the four countries – Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru – at the Pacific Alliance Summit in Colombia.

New Zealand had been working closely with the four countries during the past two years, and the announcement of the formal launch of talks was important, McClay said on Saturday.

The four countries had indicated they wanted to get an agreement wrapped up within a year, with the first negotiation to take place in Peru in September.

Excellent. No one trade deal by itself is a game changer, but every extra one helps both our exporters and us as consumers.