Te Taumata has an agreed work plan with the New Zealand Government to ensure Māori have a strong voice in every international trade agreement negotiated in 2022.
The Māori economy is large and rapidly growing, with international trade an integral part of that growth.
There is strong demand for world-class Māori products such as kaimoana, meat, and horticulture products like kiwifruit, wine and honey. However, to extract and achieve the real value from our products, we need greater access to the high-value markets of the world.
Through Te Taumata’s regional hui, we heard from our whānau, producers and exporters that we needed a strong and clear Māori voice feeding into trade negotiations between New Zealand and the rest of the world.
Te Taumata made this a reality with the recently finalised NZ/UK FTA which has truly broken new ground for Māori and our export industry with the immediate removal of market barriers like tarrifs, and the inclusion of a dedicated chapter on Māori interests.
This agreement has pioneered a new generation of trade agreements with the world and has set a precedent for upcoming trade negotiations.
There is much to do and it will be challenging but it is worth the effort, as achieving the outcomes we have with Britain, elsewhere in the world, will transform the lives of our whānau and moko for generations to come.
