Posted on 05/21/2003 7:50:07 PM PDT by pops88
The United States rejection of a free trade deal with New Zealand is devastating for New Zealand and Prime Minister Helen Clark must take responsibility, opposition parties say.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick yesterday dashed hopes of a free trade agreement, citing too many objections from US farmers.
"A lot of their agricultural exports are ones that are very sensitive here," Mr Zoellick told the US House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, referring specifically to lamb and dairy products.
Mr Zoellick said the US was also disappointed with recent actions by New Zealand.
"There's been some things done recently that would make (a free trade agreement) harder to carry" to the US Congress, he said.
Helen Clark had to apologise to US President George W Bush's administration last month for her comments that the US would not have invaded Iraq if Al Gore were president.
However, she has stuck to her stance that New Zealand would support war in Iraq only if it was sanctioned by the United Nations.
National leader Bill English told NZPA today the blame for the rejection of a free trade deal lay squarely with Miss Clark.
"I think the US accepted that New Zealand could differ over the Iraqi war but unlike all their other friends and allies after the war started, Helen Clark went on a campaign of foot in mouth," he said.
"We've heard from American contacts that the picture of Helen Clark buddying up with (French President) Jacques Chirac has had a lot of play in the US and, of course, he's public enemy number one.
"The US farm lobby would certainly use that against us."
Mr English said the news was particularly devastating for rural and provincial New Zealand, which was coming to the end of a recent boom. A free trade agreement was the next step, he said.
He predicted it would take a long time to repair the damage to the US-New Zealand relationship.
(Excerpt) Read more at nzherald.co.nz ...
yitbos
NZ has been a loyal US ally and should dump Clark and get that status back.
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