May 15, 2025 • 8 mins
We find the Minister of Agriculture and Trade in Korea, where he’s been meeting with APEC trade ministers, and US trade representative Jamieson Greer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Get a New Zealand and welcome to the country. My
name's Jamie MacKaye. The coffin in the background comes from
our Agriculture and Trade Minister, Todd McClay, who's taking time
out of a very busy schedule all around the world.
Is in Korea at the moment about the jump on
a plane, I think to Shanghai. He's been there for
an APEX Trade Minister's meeting and he's been talking about
(00:22):
the cp TTTTPPPPP as well. I can never get that
one right, Todd McLay. I'll tell you what's on the
show shortly, but I know you've got to catch a plane,
so tell me what's been happening in Korea.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Jamie, Hey, thanks for having me on. Well, the APEX
Trade Minister's Meeting is on a career there the hosts
or here and I'll know the conversation sort of good
around the table. It's an opportunity to meet with different
delegations and talk directly about New Zealand's interests. I've had
a lot of meetings Indonesia where we're just trying to
make sure we keep getting a dairy in there, and
(00:57):
Buten arm And stylin and stuff like that. Probably the
most important meeting I had was of the United States
Trade Representative ambassador degree and my equivalent in the US,
my equivalent but a much bigger country.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
So have you cut us a trade deal? Have you
got a reduction on Trumpy's tariffs? Have you got us
down to nothing from our current ten percent?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah? No, not at all. Look, it was a really
constructive meeting. We get on quite well. I knew him
years ago when I was trading at the last time
he was the deputy USDR. It's my second conversation with him,
first one in person. It's fair to say that they
are not focused on New Zealand. I made the case
that I think that the ten percent tariff for there
put on everything is prohibitive. It's harmful, it's not good
(01:38):
for the trading relationship. It's going to put up costs
on US consumers. But they are quite focused on others
where they have big trade deficits, and they are negotiating
with them furiously. And so look, just made the case
I take away from what he said that they value
the relationship with New Zealand. They actually it's the problem.
In fact, they see US as a good guys. But
(02:01):
the new floor, the bottom twerff right for anybody at
the moment, is ten percent. And they said, well, I
guess we're no worse off, but we want to be
better off because we are good friends. And so he's
inviting me up to Washington later and near to come
and sit down when they're bannedwidth fixers. But you know,
when they're through some of these big, hard, chunky negotiations
with the countries that have you know, huge trade surpluses against.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Them, well we're kind of collateral damage in this and
Trump's trade tariff war. Look, APEX, there's no dismissing this
or talking it down. It's a huge deal. APEX twenty
one economies receive over seventy five percent of New Zealand
exports of their total exports and represent nearly sixty percent
(02:43):
of global GDP. Huge trading block.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Exactly it is it is now. We have trade agreements
with pretty much all the countries. There are different types
of the ARS and the agreement, the ARTEP agreement, the CPTPP,
so we have a number of arrangements with them. The
importance for New Zealand to be at these events, so
I was to sit at the table. So you know,
yesterday my intervention which is more about world trade, and
(03:11):
you know the Doublego. You're sitting there where you've got
China and the US and Australia and Mexico and New Zealand,
and I'm making the case that says, look, the Doublego
is a good institution that serves New Zealand, but we
now to fix it and change it. Don't reckon. And
by the way, as we're talking about all these things,
how about the most harmful effect that we know on
(03:35):
world trade, which is agricultural subsidies in the US and
in the European Union and all over the place. How
about we deal with that finally, so there is a
level playing field. And these guys don't want to hear it,
but it's important that the New Zealand's they're banging the
drama continuing to on behalf of our farmers because no
one else will.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Before you got to Korea, you were in the UK.
You spent time meeting with UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Renold
Reynolds in London. That was the first in person with
him as well, and no doubt the in zed UK
f t A was up for discussion. That's going well
for us.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, it is going really well. I've actually this is
my one, two or three fourth meeting with him.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Actually someone gave me some bad info. Their heads will roll. God.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Now what it was is the first and person in
person meeting of the Joint Commission to implement the FDA.
But I guess the point of that is, you know,
the UK is quite like mine that we did meet
and talk about. The FDA's working well. Our meet. Exports,
particularly lamb, are up in that market. We're seeing a
lot of extra sales in there, which is pleasing. Tell
(04:42):
you what I also did, though, I want to meet
their agriculture minister who's he's from a labor government. I
suppose he's feeling but in Battle. Then I had a
dinner with the National Farmers' Union, their president and vice
presidents and the Welsh president, and then on the final
day went out to visit a farm. I want to
see what they're doing. And I tell you what, by golly,
do they have an unbelievably complex system over there that
(05:03):
just hits off their farmers and cost them money. It
was crazy. Here's one of the things they were doing,
you know, around by a diversity. A man said, see
those three fields over there. He said, I received one
hundred thousand pounds a year to plant different types of
grass seed that birds like out there. Nothing you with
production and it's just madness their system. And I'll tell
(05:25):
you what, They're going to have to reform it because
I reckon it will fail. I back our farmers, who
I said to them. You know, if I said to
some farmers I want you to plant bird seed, to
laugh me out of office. They want to make choices
for themselves of what they're doing. We backed them to
be world be thinking.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Well, Todd, you obviously haven't heard the Greens alternate budget
while you're away. They want us to plant bird seed
and fields as well.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's the reason I will never, in my entire life
vote for the Greens, teke you one of a number
of reasons.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, yeah, fair enough. They're getting nuttier by the day.
Look the UK, it's tough over there for farmers. Our
guy farmer, Tom Martin tells us all about it. This
proposed inheritance takes as if farming wasn't tough enough there.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, and I jokingly made the cases a few of
them we should come on down to New Zealand. There's
no inheritance attacks and we just want to back farmers
to do well well. They're very, very interested, and when
I said to their ministers I was meeting the mass,
then a few they couldn't you know of federated farmers
in New Zealand. They're but worried for me. I just
find them really reasonable people and they want to do
(06:25):
best for farmers and they've got to advocate for them,
and they have a different view than their government at
the moment, and they were a bit surprised just how
engaged we are health and I meet with the farming
representats in New Zealand and how we try and find
solutions together. But you know, you have farmers in the
UK that want to produce more and they're not allowed
to and there's just so many rules. I mean, I
ran through how we're getting rid of, you know, rule
(06:48):
after rule in New Zealand, and you know, they jokingly said,
you want to come on down here and help us
sort of run things. So you know, we shouldn't take
for granted the access we had to each other in
New Zealand. We should keep working on that. But fundamentally
I left them with a very very clear message we
should cooperate together on many things and particularly innovation, because
I said to them, your challenge in the UK is
(07:10):
not New Zealand farmers selling lamb here. It's actually that
much of the world. But like our greens in New
Zealand want to close farming down and get rid of it,
and we've all got to stand up against that because
the way of life's important. Farmers care about the land
and actually UK farmers and New Zealand farmers have more
in common than actually it sounds like sometimes we might
(07:31):
fight a bit over land access.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Okay, I told safe travels home. I know you're going
home via Shanghai. Is that just a drop off for
you're doing business in Shanghai as well?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
No straight through, two hours on the ground and home
Saturday morning. A lot to do a budget next week
and I've got a bit to talk about in the
budget agriculture, Jamie. We might get on the show later
in the weeks. Yep. It's really about resilient communities and
moving support around to make sure that we support farmers
on the ground and make sure that you know they
(08:00):
mental health can be as strong as possible.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Good on you, safe travels home. You've certainly earned those airports.
Todd McLay there, Minister of Agriculture and Trade,
Get a New Zealand and welcome to the country. My
name's Jamie MacKaye. The coffin in the background comes from
our Agriculture and Trade Minister, Todd McClay, who's taking time
out of a very busy schedule all around the world.
Is in Korea at the moment about the jump on
a plane, I think to Shanghai. He's been there for
an APEX Trade Minister's meeting and he's been talking about
(00:22):
the cp TTTTPPPPP as well. I can never get that
one right, Todd McLay. I'll tell you what's on the
show shortly, but I know you've got to catch a plane,
so tell me what's been happening in Korea.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Jamie, Hey, thanks for having me on. Well, the APEX
Trade Minister's Meeting is on a career there the hosts
or here and I'll know the conversation sort of good
around the table. It's an opportunity to meet with different
delegations and talk directly about New Zealand's interests. I've had
a lot of meetings Indonesia where we're just trying to
make sure we keep getting a dairy in there, and
(00:57):
Buten arm And stylin and stuff like that. Probably the
most important meeting I had was of the United States
Trade Representative ambassador degree and my equivalent in the US,
my equivalent but a much bigger country.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
So have you cut us a trade deal? Have you
got a reduction on Trumpy's tariffs? Have you got us
down to nothing from our current ten percent?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah? No, not at all. Look, it was a really
constructive meeting. We get on quite well. I knew him
years ago when I was trading at the last time
he was the deputy USDR. It's my second conversation with him,
first one in person. It's fair to say that they
are not focused on New Zealand. I made the case
that I think that the ten percent tariff for there
put on everything is prohibitive. It's harmful, it's not good
(01:38):
for the trading relationship. It's going to put up costs
on US consumers. But they are quite focused on others
where they have big trade deficits, and they are negotiating
with them furiously. And so look, just made the case
I take away from what he said that they value
the relationship with New Zealand. They actually it's the problem.
In fact, they see US as a good guys. But
(02:01):
the new floor, the bottom twerff right for anybody at
the moment, is ten percent. And they said, well, I
guess we're no worse off, but we want to be
better off because we are good friends. And so he's
inviting me up to Washington later and near to come
and sit down when they're bannedwidth fixers. But you know,
when they're through some of these big, hard, chunky negotiations
with the countries that have you know, huge trade surpluses against.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Them, well we're kind of collateral damage in this and
Trump's trade tariff war. Look, APEX, there's no dismissing this
or talking it down. It's a huge deal. APEX twenty
one economies receive over seventy five percent of New Zealand
exports of their total exports and represent nearly sixty percent
(02:43):
of global GDP. Huge trading block.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Exactly it is it is now. We have trade agreements
with pretty much all the countries. There are different types
of the ARS and the agreement, the ARTEP agreement, the CPTPP,
so we have a number of arrangements with them. The
importance for New Zealand to be at these events, so
I was to sit at the table. So you know,
yesterday my intervention which is more about world trade, and
(03:11):
you know the Doublego. You're sitting there where you've got
China and the US and Australia and Mexico and New Zealand,
and I'm making the case that says, look, the Doublego
is a good institution that serves New Zealand, but we
now to fix it and change it. Don't reckon. And
by the way, as we're talking about all these things,
how about the most harmful effect that we know on
(03:35):
world trade, which is agricultural subsidies in the US and
in the European Union and all over the place. How
about we deal with that finally, so there is a
level playing field. And these guys don't want to hear it,
but it's important that the New Zealand's they're banging the
drama continuing to on behalf of our farmers because no
one else will.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Before you got to Korea, you were in the UK.
You spent time meeting with UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Renold
Reynolds in London. That was the first in person with
him as well, and no doubt the in zed UK
f t A was up for discussion. That's going well
for us.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, it is going really well. I've actually this is
my one, two or three fourth meeting with him.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Actually someone gave me some bad info. Their heads will roll. God.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Now what it was is the first and person in
person meeting of the Joint Commission to implement the FDA.
But I guess the point of that is, you know,
the UK is quite like mine that we did meet
and talk about. The FDA's working well. Our meet. Exports,
particularly lamb, are up in that market. We're seeing a
lot of extra sales in there, which is pleasing. Tell
(04:42):
you what I also did, though, I want to meet
their agriculture minister who's he's from a labor government. I
suppose he's feeling but in Battle. Then I had a
dinner with the National Farmers' Union, their president and vice
presidents and the Welsh president, and then on the final
day went out to visit a farm. I want to
see what they're doing. And I tell you what, by golly,
do they have an unbelievably complex system over there that
(05:03):
just hits off their farmers and cost them money. It
was crazy. Here's one of the things they were doing,
you know, around by a diversity. A man said, see
those three fields over there. He said, I received one
hundred thousand pounds a year to plant different types of
grass seed that birds like out there. Nothing you with
production and it's just madness their system. And I'll tell
(05:25):
you what, They're going to have to reform it because
I reckon it will fail. I back our farmers, who
I said to them. You know, if I said to
some farmers I want you to plant bird seed, to
laugh me out of office. They want to make choices
for themselves of what they're doing. We backed them to
be world be thinking.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Well, Todd, you obviously haven't heard the Greens alternate budget
while you're away. They want us to plant bird seed
and fields as well.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's the reason I will never, in my entire life
vote for the Greens, teke you one of a number
of reasons.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, yeah, fair enough. They're getting nuttier by the day.
Look the UK, it's tough over there for farmers. Our
guy farmer, Tom Martin tells us all about it. This
proposed inheritance takes as if farming wasn't tough enough there.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, and I jokingly made the cases a few of
them we should come on down to New Zealand. There's
no inheritance attacks and we just want to back farmers
to do well well. They're very, very interested, and when
I said to their ministers I was meeting the mass,
then a few they couldn't you know of federated farmers
in New Zealand. They're but worried for me. I just
find them really reasonable people and they want to do
(06:25):
best for farmers and they've got to advocate for them,
and they have a different view than their government at
the moment, and they were a bit surprised just how
engaged we are health and I meet with the farming
representats in New Zealand and how we try and find
solutions together. But you know, you have farmers in the
UK that want to produce more and they're not allowed
to and there's just so many rules. I mean, I
ran through how we're getting rid of, you know, rule
(06:48):
after rule in New Zealand, and you know, they jokingly said,
you want to come on down here and help us
sort of run things. So you know, we shouldn't take
for granted the access we had to each other in
New Zealand. We should keep working on that. But fundamentally
I left them with a very very clear message we
should cooperate together on many things and particularly innovation, because
I said to them, your challenge in the UK is
(07:10):
not New Zealand farmers selling lamb here. It's actually that
much of the world. But like our greens in New
Zealand want to close farming down and get rid of it,
and we've all got to stand up against that because
the way of life's important. Farmers care about the land
and actually UK farmers and New Zealand farmers have more
in common than actually it sounds like sometimes we might
(07:31):
fight a bit over land access.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Okay, I told safe travels home. I know you're going
home via Shanghai. Is that just a drop off for
you're doing business in Shanghai as well?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
No straight through, two hours on the ground and home
Saturday morning. A lot to do a budget next week
and I've got a bit to talk about in the
budget agriculture, Jamie. We might get on the show later
in the weeks. Yep. It's really about resilient communities and
moving support around to make sure that we support farmers
on the ground and make sure that you know they
(08:00):
mental health can be as strong as possible.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Good on you, safe travels home. You've certainly earned those airports.
Todd McLay there, Minister of Agriculture and Trade,
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com