New Zealand's signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is good news for the country's kiwifruit industry, according to leading marketer Zespri.
Following the signing of the deal in Auckland, Zespri CEO Lain Jager said that it would bring significant value to the industry, eliminating tariffs on exports into 12 Asia-Pacific nations, with a particularly strong impact in Japan where it is set to save some NZ$15m in tariffs, Guide2.co.nz reported.
'Kiwifruit growers would save over NZ$1,000 for every hectare of kiwifruit grown in New Zealand, if this tariff relief was passed straight through to New Zealand growers,' Jager explained. 'This tariff elimination will also benefit Japanese consumers by supporting our competitiveness against other fruit in Japan.
'This is an excellent result for our industry, which is set to earn nearly NZ$2bn in sales revenue this season and growing strongly. The reality is that New Zealand is a small nation reliant on exporting to earn our way in the world and these agreements are vital to our future prosperity.'
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