- New Zealand prime minister suggests European Union, Trans-Pacific trade partners could work together
- Australian officials have held talks with Japan, India, EU and others
- Australia, New Zealand face 10% Trump tariff
New Zealand and Australia said on Thursday they are each working with other nations on a possible joint response to shore up free trade against a barrage of U.S. tariffs.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand said he had spoken with the leaders of Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia, as well as the head of the European Union’s executive about international trade cooperation.
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Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said government ministers had held discussions with Southeast Asian nations, Japan, Korea, India and the EU about a joint response to Trump’s tariffs.
“There is a group of countries who see the benefit of free and open and fair trade,” she said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC.
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He said he also spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about “what the EU and New Zealand can do together to support the trade rules that underpin Kiwi (New Zealand) jobs and growth”.
New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia are members of the CPTPP, which also includes countries such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico and Britain.
“One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice,” Luxon said earlier in a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.
He added that he would head to Britain later in April for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on trade, security and geopolitical issues.
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