1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: We've got the United States Business Summit meeting today. Policymakers, diplomats, 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: business heavyweights, all that sort of stuff. They talk trade 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: in tariffs and commercial opportunities. US a big deal, still 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: second largest export market, over thirty billion dollars worth of business. 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: Fiona Cooper, Executive director of the NZI United States Councilors 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: with US Fiona. 7 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning mate. 8 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: When you gather together New Zealanders and Americans, are these 9 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: unusual times or business as usual or somewhere in between. 10 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 2: These are new times. These are different times, and that's 11 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: why the theme of the event today is America's new playbook. 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: You know, we're all adjusting to America's new rules of 13 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 2: the game for international trade. 14 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: The tariff's story, How is it a good story? A 15 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: negative story? Who was still trying to work it out? 16 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: Well? A year ago we were all terribly worried about 17 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: what was in store, and certainly it has been a 18 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: real challenge for a lot of our sectors. But nonetheless, 19 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: for many products, prices are holding up in the United 20 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: States and their strong demand, so the impact hasn't been 21 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: as bad for every sector as we had feared. 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: Is there still some stuff to comes from on that though. 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: Is there still some information to come through on that 24 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: or we don't know. 25 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 2: Oh, for sure there is. It will be interesting to see, 26 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 2: you know, how the trade stats are looking, you know, 27 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: in the new year, to see what the impact has been. 28 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: And of course we're all waiting to see what the 29 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 2: Supreme Court says about the legality of these reciprocal tariffs, 30 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 2: so that could change things again. Although nobody I think 31 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: is expecting tariffs to disappear completely. They'll find another way 32 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 2: if the current tariff structure is not permitted. 33 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, what what's the view on America? I mean, a 34 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: lot of countries are looking for alternative markets if it 35 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: gets too complicated. Are we in that or not? 36 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: Well, you know, every company makes decisions about where to 37 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 2: place its product. But the fact is in the US 38 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 2: is a huge and very lucrative market. That's why it's 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: one about you know, top trading partners and we're doing 40 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: great businessiness there. And so I think today is about 41 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: sharing stories around how we navigate this tariff turbulence, but 42 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: at the same time sees those opportunities in technology, investment, education, aerospace, agribusiness, 43 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 2: you name it. There's still tons of opportunity in the USA. 44 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: You make a very good point because so much focus 45 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: is on things like beef how much I mean you 46 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: talk about tech. Where are the growth areas outside of 47 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: US growing food for Americans? 48 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: Well, you know, we do a great business in exporting 49 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 2: machinery to the United States. So a lot of New 50 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: Zealand's high tech stuff is contributing to US supply chains 51 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 2: and that's going very well. So I think the tech sector, 52 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 2: the services sector is going absolute gangbusters in the United States. 53 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: Fantastic business there. It's our largest services market. So, as 54 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 2: I say, there's still tons of opportunity, but we have 55 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 2: to at the same time as navigating these new challenges. 56 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, the uncertainty is interesting, isn't it. The unappreciate executive 57 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: director of the New Zealand United States Council, Fiona Cooper Witherson. 58 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 2: For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 59 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 2: News Talks at b from six am weekdays, or follow 60 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.