A group of 50 New Zealand businesses has launched a public relations campaign to sell the benefits of the Trans Pacific Partnership deal to ordinary New Zealanders.
The aim to counter what they called ''scare-mongering'' by opponents of the deal.
Malcolm Bailey, chairman of Dairy Companies Association of NZ and a Fonterra board director said : "It's not just about our business and what we can do - it will create jobs and benefit ordinary New Zealanders."
The group has launched a website, tradeworks.org.nz, and published an open letter in the New Zealand Herald today to Prime Minister John Key supporting the negotiations.
About 500 officials from 11 countries are today beginning the 15th round of talks and President Barack Obama of the United States has set an informal deadline of October 2013 to have the deal concluded.