Protectionist senators open to persuasion, says PM

An influential dairy advisory group that US Agriculture Secretary Tim Vilsack set up begins its meetings in Washington today. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The influential United States senators who are pressuring the Administration over the New Zealand dairy component of regional free trade talks could be open to sweeteners to change their minds, Prime Minister John Key hinted yesterday.

Mr Key said US Agriculture Secretary Tim Vilsack indicated yesterday that the senators would be open to persuasion.

"He recognises that those individual senators are open for negotiation if you like and ... we should make our points to them," Mr Key said after a private lunch.

Mr Vilsack would not speak to reporters but an influential dairy advisory group he set up begins its meetings in Washington today.

Pork barrel politics are rife in the US system where elected representatives openly bargain for local favours for their constituents before agreeing to vote for various measures.

Some senators, such as former presidential candidate John McCain, have railed against the special favours voted to sector groups. But they persist.

Thirty senators, almost a third of the Senate, expressed concerns to US Trade Representative Ron Kirk about the power of the New Zealand dairy industry and the potential impacts the Trans Pacific Partnership could have on their own industry.

The sectoral opposition may be of equal concern to the US Government, which is treating the TPP as a potential "beachhead" into a wider Asia Pacific agreement.

Mr Key reiterated that any deal that excluded agriculture from a TPP would not be worth having for New Zealand.