Kate Ackland: Beef + Lamb Chair on a push to minimise barriers on our red meat export industry

A push to minimise barriers on our red meat export industry. 

The Meat Industry Association and Beef and Lamb New Zealand have revealed non-tariff trade barriers are costing the industry an estimated $1.5 billion every year.

Beef + Lamb Chair Kate Ackland told Ryan Bridge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working on 194 different non-tariff barriers the sector's facing.

She says the red meat industry is worth $10.4 billion, so $1.5 billion is significant. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Major hurdles to free trade are holding back our red
meat exports. This is according to Beef and Lamb and
also the Meat Industry Association. New report from MBI and
Beef and Lamb estimates non tariff trade barriers are costing
US more than a billion bucks a year. Kate Acklin
from Beef and Lamb with me. Now, Hey, Kate, morning, Ryan,
good morning. So what are we when you say non

(00:21):
tariff trade barriers? What are you talking about specifically and
which countries?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, so, non tariff barriers are things like inspections or
environmental requirements or paperwork requirements, and sometimes those measures they
serve a really important purpose. They're make sure that food
is safe to eat. But when they're not science based
or transparent, then actually they are just a barrier and
a cost to trade. And you know that adds on certainty,

(00:46):
It adds cost for both farmers and exporters. So you
know this report highlights one point five billion dollars a
year is what those non tariff barriers are costing our sector.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
And which country.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
So it's really broadly spread. Actually, there's no sort of
one particular one that sticks out, and I think the
whole purpose of This report is just to highlight those
areas that can be worked on.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Are they using them because if if they're really broaden
everyone does it. I mean, are they using them on
purpose to try and restrict trade when they can't do tariffs?
Is that what you're saying?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
There is absolutely an aspect of that. Yes, So you
know what this report, this reports entitled Barriers to trade,
So it looks at that both the tariffs and the
non tariff barriers that we're facing. And you know, a
ten point four billion dollar sector is what the red
meat industry is worth, So you know one point five
billion is significant.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yeah, no, no doubt it's significant. How hard will it
be to try and get you know, all these disparate
different countries with a myriad different regulations around inspections, et cetera.
How hard is it to try and get them all
to change? There is based on what probably is a
subjective view, is it not. You know, we might think
that their inspections are over zealous, but they, on the

(02:03):
other hand might think that they're just fine. And we
have quite strict you know, environmental and biosecurity standards in
New Zealand too.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Look, we absolutely do and you know, we work very
closely with the ministryes for Primary Industries and Ministry for
Foreign Affairs and Trade and just to make sure that
any of those requirements that we're facing going into those
countries are science based. And you know, this report actually
is quite helpful for them to identify where those hot
spots are. And I think I heard yesterday that the

(02:31):
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working on one
hundred and ninety four different non tariff barriers across the
world that our sector faces. So you know, it is
a big issue and the highlights it's.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
A big job. Kate appreciate that. Thank you very much. Kate,
Aklan Beef and Lamb New Zealand share with me this
morning for more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
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