There are few issues more topical than US trade policy, digital trade and supply chains, so we were delighted to host a lively event on these issues this week featuring The National Bureau of Asian Research, in conjunction with our partners AmCham New Zealand, University of Auckland – Business School and the US Embassy.
Thanks to Ambassador Robert Holleyman and Dr Kristin Vekasi for their excellent presentations, and our panellists Stephanie Honey and Dr Aadhaar Chaturvedi for their expert responses from a New Zealand perspective.
The US and NZ share many common interests around the regulation of digital trade, and New Zealand’s innovative Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) is of interest to many observers in the US.
While the US is currently reviewing its digital trade policy settings, our panellists expressed the hope the US will be able to resume a leadership role on digital trade policy soon, including in the WTO.
Similarly, while FTAs are not on the political agenda in the US for the time being, there is strong interest in making global supply chains more resilient in conjunction with partners like New Zealand, including through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). There is plenty to work on and we look forward to further policy dialogues with our US friends.
For further information on how you can get involved with the NZUS Council, contact us at [email protected].
