Minister Ng welcomes New Zealand’s Minister Damien O’Connor 

July 4, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Canada is committed to collaborating with like-minded partners to create inclusive, sustainable, and long-term growth and to strengthen the international rules-based trading system.

Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, welcomed a visit from her New Zealander counterpart, Damien O’Connor, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Land Information, and Minister for Rural Communities.

The meeting solidified New Zealand’s status as a crucial partner for Canada on a number of trade priorities, notably the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement and supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs and exporters to succeed, inclusive trade for under-represented communities, and the deepening of economic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.  

Canada’s formal request to accede to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement was also discussed. Minister Ng expressed her appreciation for New Zealand’s support for Canada’s potential accession, noting that Canada is an excellent candidate to meet the agreement’s very high digital standards.

Ministers Ng and O’Connor discussed the successes of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 12 to 17, including outcomes in key areas such as the WTO’s response to the pandemic, including consensus on the TRIPS waiver, as well as on agriculture and food security, the renewal of the e-commerce moratorium, and fisheries subsidies. As members of the Ottawa Group, they agreed on the need to maintain momentum on shared WTO reform priorities, including a functional dispute settlement mechanism.

The ministers spoke about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the need to work together to maintain open and predictable trade in response to crises, especially in light of rising food and fertilizer prices and global food insecurity.

The ministers also recognized the importance of continued dialogue and joint collaboration under international agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), noting the benefits of CPTPP membership.