European Union ambassador visits Rotorua: Māori business 'important players' in international trade

European Union ambassador Nina Obermaier (right) met with Te Taumata chair Chris Insley in Rotorua on Friday. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua's Māori businesses and growers are ready to trade in the European Union, business leaders told the EU's ambassador on Friday.

EU ambassador Nina Obermaier's meeting with Māori business leaders took place at the Te Arawa Fisheries office in Rotorua and was hailed as a "first step" in opening the EU's $17 trillion market to the Māori economy.

Te Taumata chair and Te Arawa Fisheries director Chris Insley said the $80 billion Māori economy was growing and needed to participate in international markets.

"One in three Māori jobs is directly derived from international trade," Insley told the Rotorua Daily Post.

"That money will come back and we'll invest it in growing Māori people. That's the real end game, the trade is the medium."

European Union ambassador Nina Obermaier (right) met with Te Taumata chair Chris Insley in Rotorua on Friday. Photo / Andrew Warner

Insley said businesses had been working hard over the past year on trade strategies to the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"Our only strategy is China at the moment but there is risk in having all our interest pulled into one market.

"We are opening up markets across the world. We've got an agreement to do trade. Now, we've got to actually do trade."

Insley said Friday's meeting was focused on how to get local farmers, kiwifruit growers, honey growers, seafood and other businesses trading with the EU.

He said there were plans for Obermaier to return to Rotorua in the new year to meet with business owners.

"The other thing we've got on the go is a discussion around trade missions to take Māori businesses to Europe, the UK and Asia."

The ambassador's visit follows the agreement of a free trade deal between New Zealand and the European Union in June.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who helped conclude negotiations in Brussels earlier this year, said the agreement would help grow exports to the EU by $1.8 billion a year by 2035.

The agreement would eliminate a full 91 per cent of tariffs on the day it comes into force and a further 97 per cent will be eliminated by the seventh year.

New Zealand's free trade deal with the European Union was one of the topics Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discussed on her visit to Spain in June. Photo / Fernando Calvo

Obermaier, who was posted to New Zealand in 2019 fresh from Brexit negotiations, said free trade agreements were "what New Zealand does best".

"New Zealand is doing the most outstanding job in branding itself and in maintaining an incredible reputation," Obermaier said.

"Everyone in the EU loves New Zealand and everyone loves Kiwis."

Obermaier said it also included the "first ever" indigenous chapter in an agreement of its kind, recognising Māori as "important players" in the economy.

"Iwi are important economic stakeholders and important stakeholders in New Zealand society."

Obermaier said the agreement would grow trade by 30 per cent.

"That means more prosperity for every New Zealander."

Obermaier said the free trade agreement, which she hoped to see signed during her time in New Zealand, was only a part of broadening the country's relationship with the EU.

"We're having negotiations on research collaboration. New Zealand wants to become an associated partner of the world's largest research programme.

"The next question is what more can we do? For the EU the number one priority is climate action."