Wellington, 11 May 1982
E (82) M 16 PART IV. CONFIDENTIAL
ANZCER: Outcome of Ministerial Meeting1
Officials explained briefly the current position on a terminal date for import licensing and export incentives within a proposed CER arrangement. Following a meeting between the Manufacturers Federation of New Zealand and the Confederation of Australian Industries, the situation on import licensing was that the Manufacturers Association had agreed to a terminal date of 1996 while the CAl was adhering to 1993. The large gap between these two dates and Australia’s inflexibility was very apparent. Officials proposed to cable this position to Paris for comment from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Trade and Industry. A subsequent paper for the Committee would be prepared. The Chairman directed that this paper be considered by Cabinet on Monday, 19 May, and referred to the Cabinet Economic Committee on Tuesday, 18 May.
On export incentives, 1987 had been agreed by the respective federations as the latest date for the complete elimination of performance-based incentives on trans-Tasman trade. Officials explained that all export performance-based incentives were included in this understanding and that some other types of input incentives were not included.
In response to questions from the Committee, officials explained that markets in third countries were not covered by the proposed CER arrangements.
There was nothing to report on safeguard action on import licensing and tariffs during the period of liberalisation of a product as the respective federations had not raised it.
The attitude of the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation towards CER overall was sounded out by the Committee. Officials were cautiously optimistic that on the evidence to date the majority of those manufacturers within the Federation would support the existing position. It was difficult to be definite about other manufacturers. In concluding the discussion, the Committee:
- noted the contents of the report attached to memorandum E(82)74;
- directed a paper on the latest position to be submitted to Cabinet on Monday, 17 May, for subsequent reference to the Cabinet Economic Committee meeting of 18 May.
[ABHS 950/Box 1228, 40/412 Part 4 Archives New Zealand/Te Whare Tohu Tuhituhinga 0 Aotearoa, Head Office, Wellington]
- 1 This document records the Committee’s discussion of the paper published as Document 239.