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Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko te hokohoko ko te wāhi mo to tātou mutunga. Ko te whiriwhiringa ko te taputapu e tohu ana i ngā huarahi ka taea. Engari, me mahara tonu tātou ki te whakahoki i ngā utu mo o tatou mahi, me te pai rawa atu. Na, me kaha ki a tātou ki te mahi i te kaupapa e tautoko ana, e tipu ana i te turanga taonga Māori me to tātou huaora.
Tihei Mauri ora.
Māori exporters and business
The Māori economy has an asset base estimated to be worth around $70 billion, contributing significantly to the growth of the national economy.
Māori businesses account for 40% of New Zealand's forestry production, 30% of lamb production, 10% of dairy production, 50% of fishing quota, 30% of sheep and beef production, and 10% of kiwifruit production.
Although the larger proportion of Māori assets are concentrated in the primary industries sector, there is increasing diversification into other areas e.g. geothermal, digital services, education, tourism and more recently, housing.
You can read about:
- Māori Engagement and Interests in Trade
- Te Puni Kokiri's Māori business Growth Support(external link)
- How MBIE provides support to Māori business(external link)
- How NZTE supports Coalitions and Māori businesses(external link)
Key outcomes
Key outcomes of particular interest to Māori exporters from the CPTPP include:
- All tariffs on New Zealand forestry and forestry products were eliminated as part of CPTPP, including in Japan (New Zealand’s 4th-largest export market) and Viet Nam (New Zealand’s 9th-largest market).
- All of New Zealand’s fish and fish products imported into Japan faced tariffs prior to CPTPP. Ninety-nine percent of these are being progressively eliminated over 11 years, and the remainder over 16 years.
- All tariffs for New Zealand kiwifruit were eliminated at entry into force and existing duty free access locked in. This includes duty free access to Japan – New Zealand’s third largest kiwifruit market – representing tariff reductions of more than $20 million.
- All tariffs on New Zealand wine were eliminated, including immediate duty-free access to Canada (New Zealand’s 4th-largest wine market).
- Nearly all tariffs on New Zealand sheep meat were eliminated upon entry into force, including locking in preferential rates to Canada (New Zealand’s 57th-largest sheep meat market).
- All tariffs on New Zealand apples into Japan will be progressively eliminated over 11 years.
- Tariffs on beef exports to Japan will reduce from 38.5 percent to 9 percent over 16 years, the best outcome Japan has given to any trade agreement partner. As of 1 January 2022, beef tariffs into Japan have already been reduced by over one-third.
CPTPP includes useful improvements for New Zealand’s dairy exporters. They will benefit from an estimated NZ$85 million in overall tariff reductions through preferential access to new quotas into Japan, Canada and Mexico, in addition to tariff elimination on a number of products.
Pre-eminence of the Treaty of Waitangi
The CPTPP contains a Treaty of Waitangi exception that explicitly allows the government to adopt any policy it considers necessary to fulfil its obligations to Māori.
This unique provision allows the government to implement policies which benefit Māori without being obliged to offer equivalent treatment to persons from other CPTPP economies.
The Treaty of Waitangi exception is just one of a number of exceptions and reservations which ensure that our government retains its right to regulate in the public interest.
Traditional knowledge
The CPTPP includes a number of provisions aimed at improving the treatment of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions in intellectual property systems. These encourage information sharing between intellectual property offices on their practices for dealing with traditional knowledge, and require Parties to endeavour to ensure that quality patent examination practices are applied when applications for patents relate to traditional knowledge.
Plant Variety Rights
Under CPTPP, New Zealand needed to change its plant variety rights law to either give effect to, or accede to, the most recent version of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 91). In doing so, New Zealand could adopt measures to protect indigenous plant species in fulfilment of its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
Following a review conducted by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), including consultation with Māori, the new Plant Variety Rights Act 2022(external link) is now in force. This legislation establishes a plant variety rights regime to give effect to UPOV91 and fulfill obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. More information on the protection of plant variety rights(external link) is available on the MBIE website.
Engagement with Māori
Government decisions around the CPTPP are and will continue to be informed by Māori concerns and interests as the Crown's Treaty partner. In particular, there is regular engagement with Treaty partner representative bodies on trade issues and interests, including with Ngā Toki Whakarururanga, Te Taumata, Federation of Māori Authorities and the National Iwi Chairs Forum. A summary of consultation to date undertaken in relation to the CPTPP is provided in section 9 of the National Interest Analysis (NIA) for the CPTPP.
On 19 November 2021 the Waitangi Tribunal’s final report on the WAI2522 enquiry into the CPTPP(external link) was released. You can read the government response below.