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DACOR
Bacon House •
1801 F Street, NW
•
Washington
,
DC
20006
• 202 842 0772 • Fax 202
842 0749
fred.benson@usnzcouncil.org
November 5, 2002
Honorable Robert
Zoellick
United States Trade
Representative
600 17th Street
Washington
,
DC
20508-4801
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
First, please
accept our heartfelt thanks for participating in the ceremony honoring Mike
Moore and Clayton Yeutter. Your warm introductory remarks set the stage for the
rest of the evening, and the feedback received from dozens of attendees
indicated that it was the most meaningful and enjoyable event of its kind they
had ever attended. You, sir, added a great deal by being there, and we are in
your debt.
I would also
like to take the opportunity to address an issue of prime interest to the
Council, and that is, of course, the possibility of a US-NZ Free Trade
Agreement. The members of the Council and other organizations supporting a US-NZ
FTA (list of 127 organizations attached) are eager to see negotiations launched
as soon as possible after
Australia
has begun the process. We are concerned that proceeding very far down the road
towards an FTA with
Australia
without including
New Zealand
could distort investment streams and negatively impact the current
Australia-New Zealand economic partnership. I have talked to several corporate
executives with a strong presence or interest in
New Zealand
who are very concerned about creating that anomaly.
We are fully
aware that the
United States
establishes FTA priorities by examining the whole relationship with potential
FTA partners, and we are not unmindful of the nuclear issue that remains of
concern to the
US
. But we also believe that the
New Zealand
–
US
relationship serves as a solid model in many important areas. Our history of
cooperation on battlefields since World War I and our joint global leadership in
trade liberalization are factors we believe should loom large in making the FTA
decision.
New Zealand
’s presence in
Afghanistan
and its commitment to fighting terrorism around the globe further strengthens
what we see as a very exemplary relationship – one that deserves special
consideration as the
US
moves forward with its trade agenda over the next few months.
From recent
discussions, my perception is there are many in Washington who view a US-New
Zealand FTA as a real opportunity for the President to produce a quick success
in his post-TPA trade strategy. Such
an agreement could be negotiated fairly quickly, would help raise the bar for
others to match, and I am confident would attract significant bi-partisan
support.
The US-New
Zealand Council stands ready to assist in any way possible to move a US-New
Zealand FTA up the priority list. We believe it is the correct decision for both
of our countries for the obvious economic advantages it would bring, as well as
recognizing
New Zealand
’s contribution to protecting and defending the free world from the growing
terrorist threat.
Thank you once
again for launching our Torchbearer Awards dinner so magnificently.
Following the success of the dinner, the Council is now taking a party of
more than 35 US business and Congressional representatives to
New Zealand
in January in what we hope will be the beginning of regular senior level
exchanges in both directions.
Very respectfully,
Frederick S. Benson III
President
United States
–
New Zealand
Council
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