U.S. trade policy attacked

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 13

U.S. trade policy attacked

NZPA Washington New Zealand’s next Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mr M. Norrish) has accused the United States of being twofaced in its trade policies.

“The United States claims to be leading the fight to persuade Japan arid the European Conununity to reduce their? agricultural trade barriers/ but/at the same time the' Uniteti. States over the last two .years has raised the level,,df 'protection of some sectors'-of. its own domestic he’said. . ■ Mr;^orrisK ; was, speaking during -‘farewell tour of California. He will leave the United .States in May to succeed .Mr ■ F. H. Corner as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Although" he has made many speeches in the past on New Zealand’s trading difficulties, Mr Norrish’s address to the' California Council for International Trade yesterday was . the most direct attack yet ’ i: on .what he called the United . States “doul?le standards, in agricultural trade policy)” New Zealand’s access ; to the countries affording the best markets was at best static and in some cases diminishing, he said. The root cause was entrenched and introverted domestic agricultural policies.