Mike Petersen on Biden, Brexit and trade

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While President Biden may have a positive effect on world trade, it won't happen overnight, former New Zealand Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Mike Petersen says.

"Certainly the democrats have been very protectionist-heavy in the past and we're hoping that with President Biden now in place, that we might see some re engagement by the US in those international institutions, like the World Trade Organisation and the Paris Climate Accord - but it won't be easy," Petersen told The Country's Jamie Mackay.

Biden would be conscious of the fact that more than 70 million Americans voted for Trump, as well as his policies, Petersen said.

"I wouldn't expect to see any rush to being an open market or free market trade in the near future."

"I think he's still going to take quite a lot of time to work his way very carefully, by engaging first – but then being very careful about any policy changes he might make."

Meanwhile, New Zealand needed to take note of two important points concerning Brexit, according to Petersen.

"The split of the tariff quotas has gone ahead. We've certainly disagreed with that process and with the methodology that they've used to do that and we'll continue to agitate about that at the World Trade Organisation in particular and directly with the UK and the EU."

Listen below:

"The second point is really important. We are still negotiating with Europe around a new trade agreement and we're also in the process of negotiating a new trade agreement with the UK. So it's very important now that we get those talks back on track."

Europe and the UK could engage with New Zealand and put a meaningful access offer on the table for agricultural goods, Petersen said.

"So we need to get that up and running as quickly as possible."

Petersen said he found it interesting that UK exporters were starting to find it difficult to get their goods to Europe.

"We could have told them that a long time ago."

Also in today's interview: Petersen said the three recent farm deaths in New Zealand, was "a very tragic reminder of the need for safety and just stopping and thinking and looking where we're going on farm at the moment."