N.Z. board unmoved by trade threat

Press, 4 February 1986, Page 4

N.Z. board unmoved by trade threat

PA Wellington The Meat Board and the Dairy Board are calm in the face of mounting threats from the French Opposition to use trade to force New Zealand to free the two French agents jailed for sinking the Rainbow Warrior. The Right-wing leader, Mr Jacques Chirac, last week Indicated that New Zealand’s farm exports to France could suffer if New Zealand did not begin talks on the return of the agents. His comments were thought to be significant, because recent reports showed that his Gaullist Party was well-placed to defeat the Socialist Government in the legislative elections on March 16. “The New Zealanders would be well advised to open negotiations for the relase of the French officers, who were only obeying orders,” he said In an election speech. The pair are serving 10year prison sentences for their part in the sinking of the Greenpeace ship in Auckland Harbour last year.

A Meat Board spokesman, Mr Barrie Saunders, said New Zealand had a sensitive markets agreement with the European Community to export only 3800 tonnes of lamb a year to France.

“The French have demonstrated in the past that they can, whether officially or unofficially, act in ways that are outside the Community,” Mr Saunders said.

“However, one would have thought that this was a bit of electioneering.” The agreement on lamb access has no expiry date, but could be reviewed at any time. It is loosely linked with European quotas for New Zealand butter. The Dairy Board spokesman, Mr Neville Martin, said dairy products would not be the most logical target for any French retaliatory action

should Mr Chirac come to power and choose to take it. “That’s because to take action against dairy imports, they could only work through the E.E.C.,” Mr Martin said. New Zealand did not export dairy products to France, he said. France will, however, be among European countries setting New Zealand’s butter quotas this year for 1987 and 1988.