Listen: Is Donald Trump a threat to NZ agriculture?

President Donald Trump has expressed an interest in the US revisiting the CPTPP. AP Photo / Susan Walsh

The trade conflict between the US and China continues to build but does it pose a threat to New Zealand agriculture or is it just more bluster from Donald Trump?

Rabobank's Melbourne-based Research GM Tim Hunt believes New Zealand should be concerned about the trade war, saying to The Country's Jamie Mackay, "there is a chance this will continue to escalate."

"Despite some conciliatory comments along the way, really all the threats made are still in place and we're seeing a drift towards escalation not détente at the moment."

Recently President Trump decided to revisit US involvement in the CPTPP, a move that Hunt says may be influenced by American farmers

"He [Trump] announced this potential to revisit the TPP (sic) while visiting with lawmakers from farm states in the Midwest."

However, Hunt says Trump may be "pandering to the constituency in front of him," and also that the President's interest in rejoining the CPTPP was "a comment made completely off the cuff."

Also in today's interview Tim Hunt looks at how the trade war will affect the Chinese market and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's reaction to Trump wanting back into the CPTPP.

Listen below: