April 22, 2025 • 8 mins
Trade and Agriculture Minister on whether the Government should consider taking a case against the US to the World Trade Organisation, when New Zealand will resume trade talks with the US, yesterday’s drought relief announcement and his plans for Anzac Day.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McLay joins me.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Look, appreciate you giving me up some of your time.
Are you on leave at the moment.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Well, it's a little tiny but they still working. I'm
in the electorates and so I've been on the phone
and doing ministerial papers on morning on this afternoon, but
to go to Ripparoa, which is a great dairy farming
area and just catch up and chat to a few
few farmers, so half paciers, that makes sense. But you
and I we're working hard with Jamie.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I know, I know, right, who is off visiting the grandchildren.
So you can consider us the backbones of the country,
Todd and Jamie McKay, the part time one. Hey, look,
as you'll move around the electorate and as you say,
going to Ripperoa this afternoon. Some parts of the country
still needing a wee bit of rain. Others have been
really desperate and finally got some at the weekend. But
(00:55):
as you say, the best way to kind of break
a drought is to schedule a drought shout on the
government's announces some assistance.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah that's right. Well we know that through the summer,
it was very dry in many parts of the country.
I took a decision to declare drought early to give
certainty to farmers and in partment in some of the
areas that were still very green, but there wasn't the
grass needed. A lot of the farmers had cut into
their winter feed supplies that they were storing up. So
although we've had an enormous amount of rain over the
(01:27):
weekend from many parts of the country, the grass won't grow.
You know, for some of the farmers, they're going to
have to be buying in feedstocks and they may not
have the money for it. So what we've announced over
the weekend is just the last age of the support
for drought, which is real support payments available to anybody
in a eural area on a farm who is finding
(01:48):
it challenging, and they should just jump on the Ministry
of Social Welfare web site. There's a lot of information here.
We'll talk to you. We're all support trust, they know everything,
and really clear message of the governments here to support
you and help you. It's been very long. Summer may
have rained, but you don't have the grass you need
reach having some help if you need it. That's why
we're here, Well.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
The government consider maybe legal action against the US in
terms of these tariffs. There's been a core put out
there by Stephen Jacobe, who's one of our lead former
trade negotiators who really understands these things, to say, maybe
it's just something the government might need to consider when
the time comes.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It's not something we're considering at this time. And ultimately
that's because we're waiting to see the lay of the land.
And you will have seen even today, you know, sort
of out of the US the new trade and tariff
arrangements continue to change. New Zealand is captured by a
ten percent tariff across the boards a couple of exceptions,
(02:45):
but to say across the board, as with every other
country in the world, we didn't have a higher tower
rate than that, but many, some forty countries did have
up to a fifty percent additional that's been wound back
for a ninety day period. And where are engaging with
the US administration. I'll be meeting my counterpart, the United
States Trade Representative, Ambassador Greer next month in Corea or
(03:09):
have an opportunity to talk directly about what this means.
But as a government, we've decided to be calm, to
get as much information as we can, listen to and
talk to exporters, to find ways to help them get
their products into that market, and of course open up
doors to them to be exporting elsewhere. So Stephen Jacoby
is a great guy. He knows a lot about this.
But as he said in that article, even if we
(03:30):
took a case, it would take a long time. It's
not clear what the outcome would be if it was
in our favor, whether America would honor the outcome in
the w S stands of the moment, which so we're
engaging country meantime.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
You might just what elsewhere you might just need a
step two paces to your left there, tied. It just
been a little bit feuslier. The White House is confirmed
it has eighteen trade deal proposals on paper, as talking
with thirty four country trees this week. As a China
deal in the works is New Zealand in that mix.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Were having to approach and ask for a trade deal
at the moment, And ultimately that's because at the moment
it is looking like the lowest they'll go is ten percent,
and that's what we already have. And so we sit
at the bottom rate. We take Australia example. They have
a free trader group with Australia, yet live in post
ten percent with them. So we're talking directly about it
means there are some countries of the World warre trades
(04:25):
who were facing forty fifty percent tower trase European Union
additional twenty percent tower on top of the ten percent,
and so ultimately they are sort of engaging because the
harms of them would be significantly greater. But we're not
rulling anything out there when I meet with my counterpart
the next more but.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Oh no, just well step back to you right now, Todd,
and we might.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Get you're cutting out. It's rural connectivity. I know about it.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
You do you do? Hi question for you?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
You mentioned the US trade representative Grea. How did you
get on with him? You wrote to him just to
correct that claim made during Trump's Liberation Day when he
said US exports space New Zealand tariffs of twenty percent
when in reality it's closer to just undertoo.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Did he give you any response?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, having a response, Well, if only just his way there.
I had a very long zoom call with him before
President Trump's speech and announcement. We were scheduled for about
twenty minutes and a round for forty and five minutes.
Was constructive and it was very positive. I knew him
when I was trade most the last time he worked
for the USCR back then Bob Lighthouse, and we're able
(05:39):
to talk about that and talk about other things. Ultimately,
LOK my senses. They haven't singled out in New Zealand,
and I have to ask they do recognize we're the
good guys, but they're going through resetting trade and if
they end up with a ten percent twiff on, everybody
in the world will do what if we can to
get that lower. But you know, as I've shared, the
ground changes daily at the moment, engaging and where where
(06:01):
we're watching and monitoring any opportunity to get more New
Zealand product and to get the tear rats down. Will
that will be there quickly?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah? What are your plans for ANZAC Day? Todd? Are
you heading to some services in your electorate?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I am and I've always always do them here my
electorate Dawn Parade and wrote Aurora very early morning. We
get a lot of people, sometimes up to five or
six thousand people come along it's really good to see.
I mean if families, kids get up early and come
and you just recognize. And then I go over to
Teapooky the other side of my electorate, drive past. It's
qv Sree Orchard and we do the civic ceremony in
(06:35):
the town hall there where every year I get to
choose a fitting reading. This year, I'm going to find
one and I'm through a few of them farmers who
went to war on four and on behalf of New Zealand,
and so you know, it's a really good day one
to come together remember those that served. And then secondly,
I hope the sun shining. It would be great if
(06:56):
I had to mow the launch because that would mean
some of the farmers who got grass.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Absolutely, it's always a good litmus test.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Finally, forty nine days out from field days, Todd, you'll
be heading along or are you overseas on a trip
at that time.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
No, I'm certainly going to be heading along. It's the
biggest week in the year in the annual rural calendar,
and we're working up a number of announcements that are
just going to continue delivering on what we campaigned on.
Getting the rules in the right place, give you a
cost down for farmers and backing them and won find
ways to support them more or we need a lot
more growth in the economy. Crystal Reaction's been really really
(07:30):
clear about that. The recovery has coming from rural New Zealand,
from dairy, from meat, from horticulture. We're going to find
a way to speed that up and support farmers more
because that's good for New Zealand and it means that
they can earn more as well. And so we'll have
some of the great announcements with my colleagues, my associate
ministers there and forty nine days. I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yeah, I bet Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McLay,
thanks so much for your timing. You go work on
that rural connectivity.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Hey, I'm going to go stand on a ladder.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah, thanks so much for your time though.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah,
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McLay joins me.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Look, appreciate you giving me up some of your time.
Are you on leave at the moment.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Well, it's a little tiny but they still working. I'm
in the electorates and so I've been on the phone
and doing ministerial papers on morning on this afternoon, but
to go to Ripparoa, which is a great dairy farming
area and just catch up and chat to a few
few farmers, so half paciers, that makes sense. But you
and I we're working hard with Jamie.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I know, I know, right, who is off visiting the grandchildren.
So you can consider us the backbones of the country,
Todd and Jamie McKay, the part time one. Hey, look,
as you'll move around the electorate and as you say,
going to Ripperoa this afternoon. Some parts of the country
still needing a wee bit of rain. Others have been
really desperate and finally got some at the weekend. But
(00:55):
as you say, the best way to kind of break
a drought is to schedule a drought shout on the
government's announces some assistance.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah that's right. Well we know that through the summer,
it was very dry in many parts of the country.
I took a decision to declare drought early to give
certainty to farmers and in partment in some of the
areas that were still very green, but there wasn't the
grass needed. A lot of the farmers had cut into
their winter feed supplies that they were storing up. So
although we've had an enormous amount of rain over the
(01:27):
weekend from many parts of the country, the grass won't grow.
You know, for some of the farmers, they're going to
have to be buying in feedstocks and they may not
have the money for it. So what we've announced over
the weekend is just the last age of the support
for drought, which is real support payments available to anybody
in a eural area on a farm who is finding
(01:48):
it challenging, and they should just jump on the Ministry
of Social Welfare web site. There's a lot of information here.
We'll talk to you. We're all support trust, they know everything,
and really clear message of the governments here to support
you and help you. It's been very long. Summer may
have rained, but you don't have the grass you need
reach having some help if you need it. That's why
we're here, Well.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
The government consider maybe legal action against the US in
terms of these tariffs. There's been a core put out
there by Stephen Jacobe, who's one of our lead former
trade negotiators who really understands these things, to say, maybe
it's just something the government might need to consider when
the time comes.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It's not something we're considering at this time. And ultimately
that's because we're waiting to see the lay of the land.
And you will have seen even today, you know, sort
of out of the US the new trade and tariff
arrangements continue to change. New Zealand is captured by a
ten percent tariff across the boards a couple of exceptions,
(02:45):
but to say across the board, as with every other
country in the world, we didn't have a higher tower
rate than that, but many, some forty countries did have
up to a fifty percent additional that's been wound back
for a ninety day period. And where are engaging with
the US administration. I'll be meeting my counterpart, the United
States Trade Representative, Ambassador Greer next month in Corea or
(03:09):
have an opportunity to talk directly about what this means.
But as a government, we've decided to be calm, to
get as much information as we can, listen to and
talk to exporters, to find ways to help them get
their products into that market, and of course open up
doors to them to be exporting elsewhere. So Stephen Jacoby
is a great guy. He knows a lot about this.
But as he said in that article, even if we
(03:30):
took a case, it would take a long time. It's
not clear what the outcome would be if it was
in our favor, whether America would honor the outcome in
the w S stands of the moment, which so we're
engaging country meantime.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
You might just what elsewhere you might just need a
step two paces to your left there, tied. It just
been a little bit feuslier. The White House is confirmed
it has eighteen trade deal proposals on paper, as talking
with thirty four country trees this week. As a China
deal in the works is New Zealand in that mix.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Were having to approach and ask for a trade deal
at the moment, And ultimately that's because at the moment
it is looking like the lowest they'll go is ten percent,
and that's what we already have. And so we sit
at the bottom rate. We take Australia example. They have
a free trader group with Australia, yet live in post
ten percent with them. So we're talking directly about it
means there are some countries of the World warre trades
(04:25):
who were facing forty fifty percent tower trase European Union
additional twenty percent tower on top of the ten percent,
and so ultimately they are sort of engaging because the
harms of them would be significantly greater. But we're not
rulling anything out there when I meet with my counterpart
the next more but.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Oh no, just well step back to you right now, Todd,
and we might.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Get you're cutting out. It's rural connectivity. I know about it.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
You do you do? Hi question for you?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
You mentioned the US trade representative Grea. How did you
get on with him? You wrote to him just to
correct that claim made during Trump's Liberation Day when he
said US exports space New Zealand tariffs of twenty percent
when in reality it's closer to just undertoo.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Did he give you any response?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, having a response, Well, if only just his way there.
I had a very long zoom call with him before
President Trump's speech and announcement. We were scheduled for about
twenty minutes and a round for forty and five minutes.
Was constructive and it was very positive. I knew him
when I was trade most the last time he worked
for the USCR back then Bob Lighthouse, and we're able
(05:39):
to talk about that and talk about other things. Ultimately,
LOK my senses. They haven't singled out in New Zealand,
and I have to ask they do recognize we're the
good guys, but they're going through resetting trade and if
they end up with a ten percent twiff on, everybody
in the world will do what if we can to
get that lower. But you know, as I've shared, the
ground changes daily at the moment, engaging and where where
(06:01):
we're watching and monitoring any opportunity to get more New
Zealand product and to get the tear rats down. Will
that will be there quickly?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah? What are your plans for ANZAC Day? Todd? Are
you heading to some services in your electorate?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I am and I've always always do them here my
electorate Dawn Parade and wrote Aurora very early morning. We
get a lot of people, sometimes up to five or
six thousand people come along it's really good to see.
I mean if families, kids get up early and come
and you just recognize. And then I go over to
Teapooky the other side of my electorate, drive past. It's
qv Sree Orchard and we do the civic ceremony in
(06:35):
the town hall there where every year I get to
choose a fitting reading. This year, I'm going to find
one and I'm through a few of them farmers who
went to war on four and on behalf of New Zealand,
and so you know, it's a really good day one
to come together remember those that served. And then secondly,
I hope the sun shining. It would be great if
(06:56):
I had to mow the launch because that would mean
some of the farmers who got grass.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Absolutely, it's always a good litmus test.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Finally, forty nine days out from field days, Todd, you'll
be heading along or are you overseas on a trip
at that time.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
No, I'm certainly going to be heading along. It's the
biggest week in the year in the annual rural calendar,
and we're working up a number of announcements that are
just going to continue delivering on what we campaigned on.
Getting the rules in the right place, give you a
cost down for farmers and backing them and won find
ways to support them more or we need a lot
more growth in the economy. Crystal Reaction's been really really
(07:30):
clear about that. The recovery has coming from rural New Zealand,
from dairy, from meat, from horticulture. We're going to find
a way to speed that up and support farmers more
because that's good for New Zealand and it means that
they can earn more as well. And so we'll have
some of the great announcements with my colleagues, my associate
ministers there and forty nine days. I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yeah, I bet Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McLay,
thanks so much for your timing. You go work on
that rural connectivity.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Hey, I'm going to go stand on a ladder.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah, thanks so much for your time though.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah,
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