Ryan Bridge: The Kiwi trying to stop the Trump tariffs

Rosemary Banks – remember that name.

She now has one of the most important jobs for New Zealand – a potentially $2 billion job.

She's woman in Washington DC, our ambassador to the United States.

Her mission: get us an exemption from Trump's tariffs.

The scale of the problem: massive.

Early estimates show that at 20% it could cost us $1.7 billion every year. Total exports currently $8.8 billion.

It can be done: the Aussies got an exemption on steel and aluminium in 2018 under Trump.

Is she up to the job? I'm told yes. If anyone can do it, Rosemary Banks is the person you want up there.

I'm told she has excellent contacts in the Republican Party and is working the phones hard.

She was asked to stay on by Winston Peters back in May, in anticipation Trump might get in.

She's the same ambassador who was in charge when we nearly got an FTA during Trump's first term.

Of course, it's not all on her. Winston and Todd McClay and Luxon will play their parts too. But the ground game is on Rosemary.

We may have some advantage here in that we export food, and food is something Trump probably doesn't want to make more expensive.

Then there's the uncertainty of whether Trump will actually make good on his campaign big talk.

Rosemary's not waiting round for that certainty, they have a plan and by God it better be a good one.

We like to hate on diplomats - oh they just go to nice dinners, drink wine and shmooze. Well, it's time to crack out our best pinot, use the contacts and make the deals happen.

The weight of our export nation is on your shoulders.

Best of luck.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rosemary Banks, remember that name. She now has one of
the most important jobs for New Zealand, a potential two
billion dollar job. She's our woman in DC. She's the
ambassador to the United States. Her mission get us an
exemption to Trump's tariffs. The scale of the problem massive.
Early estimates at twenty percent. It could cost us one

(00:23):
point seven billion dollars every year. Our total exports currently
eight point eight billion, so that's huge. It can be done.
The Aussie's got an exemption on steel and aluminium in
twenty eighteen under Trump. Is she up to the job.
I'm told yes, if anyone can do it, Rosemary Banks
is the person that you want up there. I'm told

(00:43):
she's got excellent contacts with the Republican Party and she
is working the phones and working them hard. She was
asked to stay on by Winston Peters back in May
in anticipation that Trump might get in smart move. She's
the same ambassador, was the same ambassador in charge when
we nearly got an FTA through during Trump's last term.
Of course, it's not all on her. Winston Todd, McLay, luxon,

(01:04):
they will all play their parts, but the ground game
is on Rosemary and we may have some advantage here
in that we do export food, and food is something
Trump probably doesn't want to make more expensive. Then there's
the uncertainty of whether Trump will actually make good on
his campaign big talk. Rosemary's not waiting around for that
uncertainty or for certainty on the uncertainty, I should say

(01:25):
they have a plan, and by god, it better be
a good one. We like to hate on diplomats, don't we. Oh,
they just go to nice dinners and drink wine and schmooze. Well,
it is time to crack out our best pinot, use
the contacts, and make the deals happen. The weight of
our export nation is on your shoulders, Rosemary, Best of luck.

(01:47):
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